Animals of all shapes

Today I would like to share the photos of animals I have made this year so far. Some are on commissions.

I felt honoured to be able to make him for a special girl for her first birthday.




I made two pandas for a lovely panda lady who visits zoos in lots of countries to see, of course pandas!




And here is the better pic for the panda in red.

I have made this monkey for a lovely lady. He is twice as tall as my usual ones. I heard he was a gift for her friend.

Continuing Pocket Friends, here is the dog I made for fun. He found a good home at Ceramic Art London.

Meet Tallulah, the baby tapir. A ceramic artist bought her for his partner at Hatfield. How lovely!

Talking about Hatfield, a nice lady was surprised to see goat Pocket Friends. She said she didn't remember seeing them at Ceramic Art London. Yes, I make them, but they usually go quickly. So here are the sweet duo who went to join one of the largest collections of my animals, Singapore. How nice! 

I have also made rabbits' friends, Lamb and whippet. Both have gone at Ceramic Art London. Here is Lamb.

The ostriches were completed after one year. I don't think they are safe to post, so they would go to shows. 

This is Black fox with golden eyes.

Do let me know if you would like to have a special animal for someone special or yourself. I could make one with the colours you like, and an inscription (a few words, not a poem!). It would be an unique gift. Please contact me on social media, email (on my website) or Etsy convo. 

And here is the one I have just posted for a very nice lady. A special birthday present for her friend. It is her friend's dog. 

 

Bevere Gallery, Worcester - Featured artists of June

I am one of the featured artists with Debbie Barber and Martin McWilliam, of June, in Bevere Gallery, Worcester. Do pop in if you can. My work will be there until the end of July.

Angels

Primula

Red Ridinghood

Whale sort of day

Answer was in the box.

Bevere Gallery, Bevere Lane, Worcester WR3 7RQ • 01905 754 484

A dream commission.

One day at the beginning of summer, a gentleman, whom I had made a set of figures before, contacted me to commission a work. I booked a slot for it in autumn. He sent me loads of photos. They were taken during his very special trip to see Northern lights in Norway, which changed his life. He sent me about twenty phrases to go with the photos. I thought they were like flashes of his memory.

He requested me to create a sculptural piece inspired by the photos and phrases with a generous budget, without a deadline. There were no conditions, except for one thing. The piece should be a surprise, so he would only see it for the first time when he would receive it.

Like other commissions, I started thinking about it whilst out walking. What the aurora would look like? How cold was it? What was like to be on dog sleigh? I have tried to follow in his footsteps, reliving the experience. This is the most important part for my creation. Unless I could imagine it, that is, I could re-live the moments, I can't make. So I took as long as I needed.  

After a while, I started researching images of landscapes, aurora and the important places of the client. Finally I got a vision.

Here is a photo record of the making. I usually share the images of my kiln shelves. It was not very easy to avoid any part of the mask being visible in any of the photos. But I managed it, and the lovely client didn't have any idea what he was getting through any images he had seen on social media.

The initial idea. I wanted it to be asymmetrical, to start with. I don't sketch because sketching will limit my feeling. 

However, next day, I realised that it will need a pair of horns. The vikings' bridge has gone, too. I have added more details from the client's life. They have fallen into place naturally. 

After a bisque firing. They all stayed on, thankfully.

I was not sure about the forehead. I took a photo and slept over it. 

I thought a triangle would go well with the theme of the mask. 

In the end, he didn't want the pointing corners. 

The first glaze-firing was ok, but he needed dark bluish tinge on the sky parts. This was taken just before the second glaze-firing.

The third glaze-firing.  It went well. I was happy with how he came out. I told the client that it was ready to ship.

An accident happened.  Whilst packing, a part got broken. Usual repair method failed. I bought a special repair concoction. And it went through bisque-firing and glaze-firing. It was finally ready to be shipped. The repair itself took a month. In total, from the very beginning to the end it took about 5 months.

It was a dream commission. All pieces came in places, and it was like a puzzle. I knew it was a good work because I was happy with it.

The lovely client was also very happy and he even uses the mask as his avatar. Thank you so much for your trust, patience and understanding. I couldn't be happier to create this piece for you.

The client named him  Jeg våkner' (I awaken).

You could see sleigh dogs behind.

The details of the church. And a walnut. 

  

Happy Easter!

We are working literally from early morning to night to get all finished for Ceramic Art London.  No celebration here, but we wish all happy Easter!

Who loves cats?

The first week with the builders. So far so good. We were lucky to have well experienced quiet builders. They are building my studio as an extension. It would take eight weeks, so seven more weeks to go.

Before they came in, I wanted to do three firings; the kiln would need to be brought inside the house after the construction started. But they had delay in their previous project, so I have squeezed in five firings. I hoped they would not delay any longer, as I didn't have any more to fire. Then they came.

I was so happy that the cat porcelain spoons fired well this time. They were sold out.

I have also made two cat porcelain cups. They were going to be Face cups, but as I was unable to fill the kiln, I suddenly made them into Cat cups. Both have found loving homes.

Thank you so much! I hope more cat cups will be available in the autumn, and cat spoons in the summer. Watch this space.    

One problem after another.

Another full working weekend. We are going to get my studio extension built.  Construction will start at the end of the month. My current studio will disintegrate on the 28th, and I will need to make and underglaze in my office after that. Glazing will be in the place where the studio has been. The kiln is also moving in, next to the kitchen. Mike is busy emptying the garage ready for construction; the back wall will be soon gone. Our house looks rather like storage rooms right now.

Empress, Mirror mirror and Red riding hood

So I'm working like crazy. From morning to night. All days of a week since the 4th January! I was trying to do three firing before the kiln moves in. but on the 17th, when I was going to start a bisque firing, Mike found the controller was not working. We have just changed elements over Christmas. It was posted to the manufacturer for repair next day, and it will be back on Tuesday. I might still just make three firings.

I check each iris with a torch if inside is fully covered. It is easily missed, 

Since then, I'm glazing 10 masks. Seven are done so far. Glazing masks is painfully slow process. There are so many details. More busy days ahead!

Some of smaller masks to be glazed. 

 

From disaster to catastrophe, Mike observed

It has been a busy month so far, and no sign of slowing down yet. Bisque firing went well.

Bisque-firing top shelf

Bisque firing lower shelf

The glaze firing had mixed results. The clear glaze didn't flux, again. As a test, I dipped one spoon in a different clear glaze, which did well. So I am going to use the other clear glaze. It is frustrating when glazes don't do well in firings. I used to have fits when I used to make pots with glazes on!

Glaze-firing lower shelf

Tableware and all spoons didn't go well. Good news was that all animals were successful.  

Glaze-firing, top shelf

So that was Sunday lunch time. I also found Ice Baby, which should have been completed, didn't go well and has to be re-fired. So disappointing. Then I pulled myself together, and I started sanding the masks. Pieces of hair fell away as I touched them by mistake whilst sanding. Anytime that happened, I let a little shriek out. Mike in a next room, observed 'From disaster to catastrophe.' In the end, it took me a full two hours to repair the fallen bits. As I needed to fill the kiln, I made new spoons, too. This time, I painted black cats on them. That made me a bit cheerful! And all were re-bisque fired yesterday.

These hair is tricky! They tend to fall away with the slightest shock! 

The bisque firing went well, thankfully despite the cold weather. Now I am preparing for glaze-firing. Ceramics is such that it doesn't necessarily go as I planned. It makes me a very patient person.

Find Tapir! 

 

More works went to loving homes for Christmas!

Less than one week to Christmas. I'm a bit surprised how quickly time has gone, especially I have been unwell for most of December so far. But I'm finally on the mend. I hope I am not starting jinx! Whenever I said I feel better, I got ill again in the past. I hope this time I nailed it down!

Quite a few works have gone to new homes since the last post. Thank you so much!

Aya have gone to a lovely lady. The model is one of my school friends. She was a book worm, and we used to talk about the books we have read during breaks. Now she is an assistant professor in literature in Japan.

Aya

The girl with a shield bug has gone to a lovely gentleman. She is my first piece with an insect. I am not very keen on them, but I have admired the beauty of shield bugs. Besides, they are stubborn. They don't know how small they are. If you try to move it, it will put its feet down!

Girl with a shield bug jewellery

The fourth crow has flown to a loving home. After making a few for the first time, I loved them so much. I made more. They look cool on wood mounts.

The large crow on the right has gone to a crow lover. The ones on the highest and lowest mounts are still available. 

The little lamb is so sweet. I squealed when I made her. Wouldn't you? : )

Lamb

I have finally made a Newsletter sign-up form online. I am not frequent sender, but I'm aiming at 3-4 Newsletters in 2016.  If you have left your details at one of the shows, you are on the list. Please do sign up if you would like to hear up-to-date event news.

   

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