Moomins and Karen Banks

Hello everyone. La-lala-La! I am in the good mood. First I have to tell you about the funny vision I had. Lasy Saturday I didn't do any ceramic. This often results in me having difficulties to fall into sleep. That night, despite I felt tired, I was completely away when Mike went to sleep. I quietly said 'Pon pon pon' because I was imagining about Karen who visited us earlier that day tapping her vessel. Then I suddenly saw a vision of a pot being made on a whirler; the first coil was placed on top of the round base on a whirler. It turned slowly, and then I saw mini Moomins, just like those I saw on TV program when I was a child, were making it. One was over the top of the coil and attaching it on to the base. The other one was standing on the edge of the whirler. He was joining coil and base from outside! What else would you do but watch them if you see two little chubby Moomins working like that? Obviously I couldn't sleep much on that night. Then Pearl who sleeps in our bedroom, cried about 0:30; she wanted to go to the garden! That didn't help. Too much imagination hinders my beauty sleep!

I was able to take good photos between torrential rains. I am so happy to show Karen's beautiful work here.
She makes delicate smoke fired ceramic vessels. They are just like herself.

They came in this little cute box.

A little bowl and a seed.

You can play with them!

The contrast between subtle colours of the bowl and black seed is beautiful. Inside is burnished and polished, but outside is rough. The holder will also read the bowl with their finger tips. Outside has beautiful brown marks from smoke. Thank you so much, Karen. I will treasure it.

You can see more of her work in her website.

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Yesterday morning, I saw beautiful clouds. Not quite fish scale clouds as we call in Japan. Nonetheless, beautiful and dramatic.

Yesterday morning

 There was a hole in the middle. A bit of magic.

Dawn and Dusk - Clouds part 2

Hello everyone. I had a lovely afternoon today. I visited a lady who lives nearby. She lives in such a beautiful house that I was inspired. Clutter free and a full of art she and her husband have collected. She is an artist, too. How wonderful! Her garden also looked very nice in December! Now I have got a bit of time, I should make more effort for our house. I can't keep blaming the dogs and parrots for everything!

Today I am going to share the last of my new work in the Clouds exhibition part 2. This is Dawn. She carries padlocks

Dawn

This is Dusk. I gave her a pair of cat ears. I left naturally formed cracks on her body and filled with gold enamel. I love the effect. She carries gold keys.

Dusk

They are separate pieces, but I displayed them together on a plinth. On the night as I set up the previous exhibition, I had a vision of two cats on the chimney breast of the room my exhibition is in. They were cats with girls' faces, not heads like mine. The image kept coming back to my mind, so I made them. I struggled with naming them. First I wanted to call Dawn Riddle, but couldn't find the name for Dusk - Puzzle didn't sound right! After consulting Mike, he came up with Dawn and Dusk.    

Back side

Dawn looks mysterious and Dusk looks a bit happier. I did enjoy making them. I might make more feline girls in future.

New masks in Clouds part 2

Hello everyone. How was your day? We have run errands from morning until mid afternoon. Since then, I have made more little ones. I keep on making, so I don't let 'dark clouds' creeps into my life.

Yesterday I saw an old lady whom I sometimes meet during dog walks. She was alone. So I asked her where her dog was. She had to put him to sleep due to pancreas disease. She said she has misses him. We both became tearful. She said she has to keep going, so now she trots by herself. I promised her to have a chat when we meet again. I know her late dog's name, but not hers. It is time to get to know her. She lives alone and she is 78 years old.

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I went to Sidney cooper gallery to deliver one of the sculptures this afternoon. It was very nice to see visitors smiling when they see my works. This brightened my heart.

I haven't shared all photos of my new work in the show yet. So I will upload the rest over a couple of posts.

Empress

Empress - details

My masks were inspired by African tribes, the Surma and the Mursi as well as Old Chinese paintings. African tribes decorate their faces and bodies in very artistic way. They look very wild yet beautiful. If that is not art, I don't know what art is. I wanted to create something wild and strangely beautiful, too.

Then I somehow made Empress, which reminds me of old Chinese court ladies. When I made her, I wanted to visit Chinese paintings exhibition in V&A; I booked tickets. So that must had been in my mind.

Poet

Poet -details

He is more influenced by the body art of African tribes. But I also feel a bit of ancient European civilization in him. I love his hair, Empress's and Forest boy's. The style is new to me, and I am very happy with them. I would like to play more on the textures in near future.







    

Wonderful PV, Clouds part 2

Hello everyone. Yesterday evening, Mike and I had a great time at the PV in the Sidney Cooper gallery. We met some wonderful people and also had a catch up with some good old friends. Thank you so much!

We went promptly just after it opened. Imagine my delight when I found two of my works had already been sold. How wonderful! Then one of my female busts somehow found a new home even though it was not in the show. How lovely! I met lovely people who purchased my works, and also had good chats with them. People often say it is nice to meet artists. From my point of view, it is so nice to meet customers and clients. I always enjoy learning why they chose certain pieces and also their interpretation of my work.

Protector of little birds is holding a little bird, our Mochaccino (you can read about his life). He is still with us. But he is blind, paralysed and very weak. He lives in a shoe box on a heat pad in my office. We find him upside down once a while. He has no strength to turn up. We gently put him up. If you have lived with very old animals or animals with terminal illness, you know all you can do to them is to give them as comfortable life as possible till the last moment. Still I am fully aware that the last days in their lives are a real struggle. I pray that he feels less discomfort and less pain.

Protector of little birds (Sold)

Mochaccino is a special bird. He is a chosen one. He survived as twice long as the average Bicheno finches. He is also a fighter. He still gets angry when I wipe his bottom with warm water.

But when I made his guardian, her face was sad and her eyes are in tear. She shares his pain. She knows the end is nigh. Initially I wanted to make her with more hope, but I couldn't.
 

Protector of little birds (sold)

Protector of little birds (detail) 

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This is 'Breeze'. She is the most innocent girl I have ever made. She is a little sister of 'Wind'.

Breeze (sold)

Breeze (sold)

Backside

Her sister 'Wind' is more willful. She has swirls on her body. I like her hair!

Wind

Wind

Wind

This little boy is 'Forest boy'. He and other two masks I will show you next time are literally my latest work. He came out of the kiln a day before the setting up the show. He was popular yesterday evening.

Forest boy (sold)

Forest boy (sold)

Today, Cloud II also found a new home. She is so pretty.  She greets you when you enter the Side room.

Clouds II (Sold)

That's it today. I will share the photos of other works next time. The exhibition continues until 21 December, Please come!  : ) Details.

   

Preview for Calm, Clouds exhibition part 2

How nice to feel free again! Hello everyone. Mike and I have finished setting up the show this afternoon. We had mini celebration with wine today. I will be out of 'artist' mode for a couple of days, and catch up with all of the other work that has piled up. This means I will come out from the dreamy state, and become realistic and alert. I would live in a different personality. I do enjoy two lives. It feels to me I live twice!

My next show, Calm, Clouds part 2, will open on Friday, 22 November in the Side Room at Sidney Cooper gallery in Canterbury. PV will be on Thursday, 21 November 6-8 pm. I invite you all!

I am showing all new works not shown before. I have created all, except for two, in the last two months. As usual, my creation comes from my daily observation in person, on twitter, by email and so on. It is very different from the previous exhibition, Storm.

Here is the a sneak preview of the show.

I will also share a few photos of my show in the making. I have been firing work up to the final hour again! Firings were more of a challenge than before because I have only been able to use our small kiln this time. There was no more luxury of four kilns firing at the same time! Our kiln is also small, so when I fire tall sculptures, I can only use one shelf. This is one thing to consider for the future.

Going to bisque-firing

Glaze-firing

Second glaze-firing

Hazel and Tina at Sidney Cooper gallery are so helpful and friendly. We are so lucky to be able to work with them. They make us happy!

We also had a peek at Chain Reaction setting up in the main gallery. It looks such fun! I felt I became a child again to discover wonderland. Six artists show their completely different types of works related to science. Do visit Sidney Cooper gallery. The shows will continue until the 22nd December.  

      

A terrific week so far and it is getting even better!

Hello everyone. I have had a terrific week so far. First, I am thrilled to share this news with you. 'Origin of transformation', one of my masks in current Clouds exhibition - part1 was purchased by a director of the British Council. Hooray! Two directors came to see Naiza Khan exhibition in the main room earlier this week, and apparently saw mine, too. The gallery told me both loved my works. That already made me happy. Origin of transformation is about Gandhara. The director is in charge of the area. It is a very beautiful mask. Both Mike and I love it. I hung it at the entrance of the room, but I was a bit concerned lighting is not ideal. But now I am convinced that it was there to be picked by a right person. I always feel my work chooses its person. I think they are a perfect match! Thank you so much! Here is my short story about the mask.

Origin of transformation - Sold

I have been busy and productive lately. I am trying not to do multi tasking, but do one task at a time. It has worked well for me.

You might want to peek what's going on in my little studio. A few of them have been already glaze-fired for the second time. More to go! The iron oxides and glazes get burnt each time, so it requires a subtle balance of adding and subtracting of colours. This process is not good for the faint-hearted as you can't have control.

Her head was finished. Now I am tackling the body.

Head is done.

Blue Bird

These are done. The wings don't belong to her, but she looks beautiful like this!

I have also started on bisque-fired figures. She reminds me of a gargoyle although she looks sweet. I am experimenting finishing on her body.

In progress

Mike has nagged me that I should finish this little fellow! He will be fired next time if there is space in the kiln. He is a funny guy. While I was making all masks, he just appeared like a jester!

Mike found him in a box and insisted that he should be finished.

P.S. While I was typing this, another good news has just arrived! La-lalala! I will tell you next time!

Stubbornly cute and pepper witch

Hello everyone. I have worked solid in my little studio today despite the cold.  The kiln is on.

Being glaze-fired 1240 C (2300 F) 

After making cute animals, somehow my face insisted to become cute, too! If you know what my faces are like, this is unusual. I resisted a bit by trying to add some dark side, but this one became an innocent child. She is 'Breeze', The daughter of 'Wind'. 

Breeze

Walking in autumn is a fun if weather is nice. Beautiful sky and leaves.   

Autumn colour

Pearl enjoyed a walk, and made a scene when she spotted a cat. But once inside, she sleeps like melting butter, and removes varnish from the floor by her nose water!  

Where she rests the nose has no varnish. Her acidic nose water dissolved it!

At dinner time, we were using spilled pepper from a little dish. We pinched it with fingers. Then Mike said 'I can see a witch on a broom!'  Yes. How timely with Halloween coming! 

Pepper witch!

Both Mike and I are suffering from cold symptoms, again! I almost put a kettle into the fridge today. Tight head makes me feel a bit zombish. No wine, no cider, no strong coffee. We are detoxing again, just after I rediscovered the joy of wine and cider!  Never mind. I will recover very soon. Take care, everyone!

New website and a great day!

Hello everyone. Ta-da. My website is up and running. You might have noticed a new click menu below the blog banner. Address is www.MidoriTakaki.co.uk  Please check it out!

Yesterday I had a great day. Two works at the show were sold. How nice! 'Out of sorts II' is going to a good home of a wonderful lady. I happened to be in the gallery, so I had a great chat with her. 'Who's there', the wall mask, is going to a talented print maker. I think both are wonderful matches. I feel the relationship between artworks and their owners are like marriage. They have to like each other. They will live together for a very long time, too.

At the gallery, ever so helpful Hazel, the curator, was so kind to give me lots of advice. I am so lucky! Even though I have sold my works literally all over the world from my online shop, I am new to traditional art business, so there are lots of things I don't know. I am learning quickly.  

Out of sorts II (Sold)

Who's there (Sold)

I finished a sculpture for part 2 of my Clouds exhibition. I also finished a large whippet, which is going to a gallery in London.

Wind

She is a large one. 10 cm high, and 17 cm long

This is the clouds of this morning. How inspiring! They look alive. Or I dream I could hop on them and go to another place in another country.

From the garden

 

New masks - part 2

Hello everyone. I am building my website lately when I find spare moments. It was overdue. I wanted it to be ready before the MA show in early September. Main framework is done. I am still thinking how to show my work on it. Flickr is one option. Its advantage is that it allows me to upload almost unlimited images. I will let you know once it is done.

Today I will continue to show you more of my new masks in Clouds. 

Rabbit mask

This is another experiment. I keep making something new. It is a risky strategy, but to feel fresh, I need discoveries and excitement. When I stop any experiments, it would be probably the time I stop ceramics.

Different angle

I am very pleased with this mask. I love textures, patterns and colours. Jane, the studio tech calls my finishing 'painting'. It has evolved this way, and I enjoy doing it.

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Origin of transformation

This is my idea of Gandhara. The beautiful young male sculptures in Gandhara had changed its appearance as the image had traveled to east about 1700 years ago. When it has reached Japan in the 6th century, it had already East Asian appearance, older and fatter, very different from the original image.

To Japanese, the Silk road is the path to the origin of lots of things, including Buddhism. I have always wished I could travel on the Silk road. This mask carries my dream.    

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I am looking for my father

    

This mask has a model. The old lady comes to our door several times in last four months. She announced 'I'm looking for my father' when Mike answered the door for the first time. The second time she was looking for her friend. She insisted that she left her friend in our lounge. I told her that nobody came on that day. She asked if she could see inside the room. 'Of course. Please have a look.' Only Topaz barked at her. She leaned her neck, 'How strange! I surely left her on your sofa!'. I told her to go home and have a nice cup of tea because she was tired and a bit confused. She nodded. I asked her if she could go home by herself. She said 'Yes'.

I have been interested in dementia as my own parents are old and getting forgetful, and also a gentleman I have known for a couple of decades was diagnosed with Alzheimer. Ordinary things they used to do became impossible things to do. As a Japanese woman, I am likely to live for a long time. Dementia is not other people's problem. It is likely to be my problem.

This mask is the old lady, my mother, Mike's mother, myself, and all people who are suffering and will suffer from dementia.

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I have created my first work for part 2 Calm. I have been working on an image for a couple of months. Now finally I could make it appear.

New work

She is going to be on a large mount that I had reduction fired several months ago. She will also have a wing. She is a cloud. 

Close-up