Reduction firing and more masks

Hello everyone. Reduction firing went well. Mike dropped me in the studio at nine. The firing was over about five. Every 15 minutes, I record details of firing, and lots of fiddly thing to do. But Jane the superwoman has mainly done for me. So I was in safe hands!

Firing

Due to weather (very foggy) or something else, the flame kept stopping at about 176 C, but after that, it went very well. Thanks for that!

Nice pots!

Because we have been so busy, we haven't seen them closely yet, but most of them look very nice! I will take photos next week to share with you!

I have also done some finishing on my masks. 

The right was for a commission. 

The right chap has already found a home!

They went to a kiln last night. I can open it tomorrow morning, and do more touch-up and refire them. 

Today, I woke at 7:30, had a breakfast in bed, and went back to sleep soon after. Next time, I noticed it was already noon! I have finally caught up with lost sleep. I felt good! I spent time creating more masks in the afternoon.  They look a bit funny due to artificial light. I will take more photos tomorrow!

Looking for Father

He is a child in the war. I am thinking about children in Syria.

Conflict

Because of the ears, Mike says he is rugby player! Not really!

Haven't found a name for him yet!

This is called Harriet's rabbit because she bought one of my rabbit masks after one of my presentations. It was an unusual rabbit, I am revisiting him.

Harriet's rabbit

That's it today. Tomorrow will be a busy day again. I am thinking to go to the studio before anybody! But not sure if I could wake up! : )

Dream and celadon bowl

Hello everyone. Last night I had a strange dream. I was in the meeting led by my former Japanese architect boss (I used to work as an interior designer in an architect's office in Tokyo). There were one of primary school classmates and two former colleagues in the room. I felt sick, so I told them that I would go home. I was in an elevator going down. There was a high school classmate who became graphic designer. She didn't seem to recognize me. But when I was about to get out, she said 'You don't look well.'  I walked around the vast building and found a white room with a girl lying in a simple steel bed, and there was another bed. I lay on the bed. Then I woke up with incredible thirst and fever. I don't need Freud for this one, do I? I just wanted to go to hospital!

We had a warm day today. It was warmer outside than inside. Pumpkin, our chicken, slept under the raspberry bushes (no leaves yet). Our dogs slept in a sunny spot on the lounge. I also took a peaceful nap this afternoon.

When I woke up, I had an email from a lovely lady in Singapore; a sculpture and a rabbit cup have arrived safely. What good news!

I have listed one celadon bowl in my shop today. This is from my latest reduction firing. The small bowl fired in March was so good that I have glazed a couple of pots with same celadon this time. Alas, only this was properly reduced; the other one was only half reduced, so it has to go to re-firing in June.

'Peppermint choco chips ice cream bowl' in my shop

 
It is 6 2/5 inches wide (16 cm), and  3 1/3 inches tall (8.6 cm). It is versatile. Mike threw this pot with coarse grey clay. We call it 'peppermint choco chips ice cream'. Instead of dipping the pot in the glaze, I brushed the glaze, so that brush marks could be seen.

Inside

   

Topaz the dog who ate Mike's lunch and Bizen pottery.

Hello everyone. I had a busy day today. After a busy morning with my work, I took a long lunch break, and went to the studio where I had some finishing to do before Monday. I had been there for a couple of hours. Once at home I had worked until five, then quickly had a dinner, and went to the art theory class. Phew. I 'm just back from it. I know I am lucky because I don't have long commuting time (working from home and about 15 to 20 minutes to the studio). I just wonder how other part time students cope with their busy lives.

Oh, there is one happy dog here. While Mike drove me to the studio at lunch time, Topaz the dog ate Mike's lunch that I prepared for him! A piece of brie, nice ham and artisan sour bread (rye and ordinary). She scoffed them down except for a slice of rye bread. (Ummm, interesting).  Poor Mike only had two choc chip cookies and coffee, instead. Topaz also stole some of Pearl's breakfast. No wonder Topaz didn't touch her dinner today.

'I stole everyone's food today.' 

  
My last pieces from reduction firing to show you here are these whippet and greyhound figures. The first one got a bit of celadon glaze around an eye from a neighbouring pot, so I ground the part, and re-fired it. I used ash glaze here and there.

 This one is more like greyhound-like. He has no glaze, still I think very attractive. I love the colour of reduction fired clay. It is similar to Japanese Bizen ceramics, which I love. Bizen is the old name for an area in Okayama prefecture. Bizen pottery is one of old Japanese pottery. When Mike and I visited the area, we bought a nice vase. My mother also has a Bizen vase. Bizen is often used for Ikebana and tea ceremony. If you visit Japan, I highly recommend to visit Bizen artists. Here is a bit of information about Bizen pottery.

My favourite reduction fired bowls

Hello everyone. We had a cold weekend and stayed home happily. I took the photos of recent works yesterday. Porcelain cups look flat on the photos; that made me feel flat, too. I have asked Mike for help; he used to be a hobby photographer with a dark room, when I met him. Despite gloomy daylight, he could manage to take much better photos than I did.  So I listed a couple of the my porcelain items on my Etsy shop. I will list the rest gradually over the week. So if you are interested in, please check them out.

Friday afternoon, I unloaded the gas kiln which I did reduction firing the day before. They are successful. I fired lots of Japanese style bowls with beautiful Shino and pine ash glazes, which I made by myself. While I was unloading them, I suddenly became homesick; I was thinking something like, this pot would be great as a rice bowl, or the pot would look lovely with the stew my mother used to cook and so on. From there, the memory flooded me. It was my rare moment to be sentimental. Japanese ceramics are one of a few Japanese things I miss a lot. There are nothing like them in England.

Here are some of our work fresh from a kiln! This bowl is our most favourite. I used our new Shino glaze, which came out much redder than ordinary Shino. I would like to have the stew in this!

My favourite - Thrown by Mike. Decorated by Midori with celadon, Shino and pine ash glaze. Dia. 15 cm

Inside 

Foot ring

The next is a rice bowl. Outside has banding. White rice would look delicious in this bowl, I imagine!

Thrown by Mike and decorate by Midori.
A lovely rice bowl

This is another bowl with Shino, but different one.

Thrown by Mike, decorated by Midori.  Good for salad! Dia. 15 cm

Inside

This little piece is my test. I used celadon. It appears like mint ice cream with chocolate pieces!

Test piece thrown by Midori 

Mint ice cream with chocolate chips !

This would also make a nice salad bowl. I need a better picture!

Thrown by Mike and decorated by Midori

Inside. A reduction fired bowl

 

Reduction fired pots

Hello everyone. Today I am sharing a couple of the images of reduction fired pots with you. I only wish I could take photos better. The subtle nuances of the surfaces are lost in my photos. This is the round vase.  I like it a lot because it looks different from different angles. 

Round vase

I added 'ears' to the next vase. As usual, I leave throwing marks. I can't see any point of removing them because they are beautiful as well as they are the signs of how it was made. I mainly put shino glaze on the 'ears' on this vase. The flowers like daffodils or irises would look lovely in this.
 

Vase with 'ears'