A salamander cup for a special lady.

I finally came down with cold. It was not unexpected. I have been hectic lately. Fortunately it is not too bad. I should be running around with our dogs soon!

I share the salamander cup here today.

I designed and made this porcelain tea cup for a special lady who has connection with the ironmongers guild. She told me that salamanders are in the crest of the guild and it is tradition to commission and wear a salamander, usually in gold. But she added, ' why not in ceramics'. I made four fire salamander brooches, and this cup for her.

If you remember, the first glaze-firing was a struggle, and it didn't reach the temperature. The second one made it. The glaze fluxed nicely. I love it.  

Although I am sculptor by trade, I do love making functional pots. You might see more of these in 2016.

Mugs with rabbit handles

Hello everyone. I hope you had a good Monday! : )  Mike and I have done lots of clay works lately. We are going to bisque firing this Wednesday, and it would be our last bisque firing of the year with our kiln. We aim to use solar power to fire the kiln. As we live in England, we can't expect sunny days too often from now on. Of course, we will glaze fire after that. That would be the last firing of the year at home.

Last Saturday I had spent about 12 hours making chameleons, one big one and two little ones, on two commissions. As you might remember, my last firing for the little ones didn't go well, so I altered design and made sure that glaze can't pool in the middle of the pieces. They are so intricate, detailed and fragile. One of the three was broken as soon as I finished it. That would have been my insurance.

The deadline for the large one is November. I have also failed on this one once. There is no way I could repair him because sadly one of the legs fell and got smashed! Then a crack appeared between the body and tail during glaze firing. So he is going to be our table mascot. I imagine he would be a good conversation piece!

On Sunday, I put on an apron and cleaned kitchen, cooked meals and did tidy up most of the day. Mike aptly called me 'a part-time domestic goddess'! Hahaha, I like that. When Mike came to the kitchen, I was making disc shaped croquette. I said to him I could make whippet shaped ones, if he wanted. He didn't request it.

Mike made a couple of mugs on a potter's wheel, and I also made a mug and a jug. So this afternoon, I turned their bottoms and attached handles. Mike also did same after work. They are going to be decorated with my Japanese styled rabbits.

I also have made different rabbit mugs last month. (You could tell by now how much I like rabbits.) As usual, My mugs are not gigantic ones, but they will hold about 300 ml, which is 1 1/4 cups. They are kind to ladies'  smaller hands, as they are lightweight. You can make your cuppa a bit more special with these rabbit mugs!

Rabbit mug 1

Rabbit mug 2

Finally here are my croquette. I shaped them as discs for shallow frying. Because I don't cook often, whenever I do, Mike appreciates my effort so much! Here is the secret of successful marriage for you. : )

Pumpkin's egg had rich yellow yoke, so they became yellow too.

Whippet knife rest, Fish Man and Chameleon paper weight

Hello, everyone. The last time I updated, I told you that I got a cold, and we were going to a ceramics material shop in the weekend. Well, my cold got worse, and we had to cancel the trip to the shop. I had to stay indoor to stay warm (it was a cold day although we are in July!). So, I sat on a hot water bottle, and made a small whippet knife rest and a rabbit chopstick rest.

Whippet knife rest - before firing

It took me a long time to make this piece, so I can't imagine my making a set of six. But if we find the way to make a mould from it, we might try 3D mould, which is an unknown territory to us. I might use it as a paint brush rest, if we can't make a mould from it.

We made a mould from the rabbit. I would love to show you, but the mould is still wet. (we have had cool rainy days). So, once it has become dry, I will make samples. Then I will share photos with you. It should be ultra sweet!
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Chameleon paper weight SOLD

On Sunday, when I woke up, my head ache was all gone, What's better, I found lovely Sandra purchased another chameleon from my Etsy shop. How nice to start the day! Thank you very much, Sandra! I made him as a paper weight to hold papers for customers' details at my little show last autumn. People noticed him when they wrote down their details, and they seemed to love him. I have kept him in my cupboard after that. I am so pleased that he will soon join Griffin and Graham in US. I like him a lot. He has got a cute smile on the lip!

I have got lots of my pieces in my cupboard. Strange to say, I get so attached to them, I need some time with them (alone!) before I put them for sale. It is sentimental, but I guess the time is so important to me.

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We also put several of our items on ebay. Longer than two months have past since we listed our ceramics last time. The wall mask and a natural ash glazed Guinomi (Japanese Sake cup) were sold. Since I have never shown the mask anywhere else, I will share him here.

He is Fish man. SOLD 

He is one of my imaginary being. His story goes like this; 'Fish man is a half man and a half fish. He lives alone in wild deep ocean. He doesn't like humans or ships. He adores mermaids, but they never come closer to him. He likes swimming in the woods of silky seaweed. He could talk with turtles. They exchange stories once a while. Turtles know a lot of things happening in the ocean. He has a secret treasure hidden at the bottom of the ocean. Nobody knows except for him what it is and where it is.'   

Sunfish and chameleon chopstick rests on the making

Hello, everyone. Jubilee weekend finished. French Open finals are on (We watch), and European championship has started (Mike watches England matches). There have been lots of events recently.

We have managed to fire another bisque this morning. Mike was supposed to throw some saucers and bowls to fill the top shelf, but allergy on his hands hadn't improved enough to throw, so suddenly I had to make something. Something which would need short time to dry. Ah-ha! Chopstick rests! Friday evening, I made several small sprigs, and we cast them in plaster. We have seen others doing this in ceramic classes, but this was our first. We had to check on Internet for details, but we managed to. Ta-da!

What are they?

Chameleon and Sunfish

I thought they look almost good enough to eat! Mike kept saying that they look so sweet!

My chopstick rests design

I had thought once the mould is made, it would be very easy. But it wasn't as easy as I imagined. It took me a bit of practice to improve my technique. in fact, I had spent about 8 hours making these little sprigs, including drying time. By 10 o'clock in the evening, I had produced enough to fill the kiln shelf.

Our Friday lunch - Mike found asparagus were a half price at local farm shop. So here is the picture of yet another asparagus lunch. And happily yes, I kept losing weight, too. My target is the weight when I was 24. Another 800 grams to go!

Asparagus, avocado Parma ham and lettuce salad

 
 

A Bright Southern Star, Tanya Bechara

Hello everyone. Today I would like to introduce a talented Australian ceramic artist Tanya Bechara. I love her works, especially those frogs! They look almost real!

'I love art that can be touched, felt & used which is what draws me to claywork with Australian landscapes, fauna and flora being my inspiration for surface treatment.' (Quote from her Etsy Profile)

Copyright: Tanya Bechara

Not only she is talented, but also she is such a friendly person. She is also very generous to share her knowledge and experience with other people. I met her through twitter; she is definitely a bright southern star in twitter.

Tanya's Etsy shop

Tanya's facebook

My new chameleon is ready for firing.

Hello everyone. It has been a chilly day here at Canterbury. We have had thunders and showers. Our radiator is full on. I made chicken casserole. It is a perfect dish for cold days. We had it at lunch. It was yummy and very filling, too.

My simple casserole

I finally finished the Chameleon that I was commissioned. He is quite large; about 30 cm in length at this moment (he will shrink aftre firing by about 12%). Clay becomes very brittle after it becomes bone dry. So I am at most careful when I handle him. I am going to fire him on the side to protect his delicate legs. Next bisque firing will be in two weeks time, I guess. I hope everything goes well. Please cross your fingers and paws for us!

My new chameleon

Mother's loving parcel arrived.

Hi, everyone. I am typing this on a dinning chair in my office cum studio. My, so called, executive chair is occupied by Pearl. I accepted my junior position and she rules my office!

This is MY chair.

Today a parcel arrived from Japan. My mother sent me two different green tea and rice crackers. The rice crackers have soy sauce based taste with strong leek flavour. The packet says that they were hand baked with leek sauce. I opened one packet (In Japan humidity is very high, so each cracker is packed individually.) and gave 10% to Mike and ate the rest. We both loved it. I asked Mother to send us more of them!

Green tea and rice crackers

I drink green tea everyday. I always love the taste and fragrance of green tea. But I treat them more or less like medicine, since I read that they are antioxidant. The article I read said that the effect was seen at the back of the eyes of drinkers even 24 hours later. I have tried several pre-packed green tea in UK, but they taste stale to me. So I usually ask anyone visiting us from Japan to bring one or two packets for me. At tea time in the morning, I make a cup of strong green tea. That's my routine.

After dinner, I went back to work. Mike turned his cups those he had thrown over the weekend. We use a kick wheel to turn pots because it is easier to centre them and also it is more therapeutic than a electric wheel. But after a while we get a very tired leg, which we put our weight! 

Mike's cups. 'Before' and 'After'

  

My boss, Pearl, is not pleased to be disturbed whilst sleeping.

Raindrops and Mike making bowls.

Hello everyone. How are you today? It has been grey and drizzly today here in Canterbury. But I started a day with a very good news. The little chameleon and a white mug with a rabbit on the handle travelled safe and sound to USA. I felt such relief. And Sandra is very happy with them. This is even a better news!

Rain on dandelion

May is the busiest month of the year at my day job. Even so, I try to do some ceramics after dinner as often as possible. Making something releases stress, but also uses the unused part of my brain. So after doing ceramics, all parts of my brain becomes nicely tired, and I am able to sleep well.

Raindrops on poppy flower bud

Mike has finished turning his bowls. He is happy with them, and will pick the best of them to be fired. I will probably decorate them with cobalt oxide.

Mike's bowls were turned.

     

Girl's head, bluebells, blackbird chick and the book I always wanted to buy.

Hi everyone. This morning, I have worked on a female model I was talking about yesterday.In order to take photographs, I used this little vase. I like it! This could be a source of my new work!

I like this composition.

Mike has thrown more bowls and he turned three of them this evening. They look good.

Mike's bowls

Every rain eventually stops. Ours stopped this afternoon. We went to see bluebells on campus with our dogs, Pearl and Topaz.

Bluebells after rain

That was a mistake. They found a bunny and started barking very loud! So I went to see flowers alone whilst Mike held them somewhere else. They are so beautiful. There are usually faint scent, but there wasn't today. It might be because of the heavy rain.

Our blackbird chick

There is a good new today. I was reunited to the book I have wanted to buy since the day I saw it in The daily Telegraph three years ago. Unfortunately, I misplaced the information and couldn't find it nor search for it on Internet neither. The lovely artist couple I visited this afternoon showed me some books I might be interested in. Imagine my surprise. 'I know it! I have always wanted to buy the book, but lost the details!'. It is called 'Natural Fashion, Tribal Decoration from Africa' by Hans Silvester(2007 Thames & Hudson).

As the title suggests, it is the photograph book of body decoration of African people. They are very artistic. The first time I saw the article on it, I was deeply fascinated. I will get an order from Amazon tomorrow. I can't wait for it arrive!

Alison is a very good at baking, as well as lots of other things. She treated me with wonderful cheese scones. I love cheese scones. They are my most favourite at tea time. I was also given some lovely chocolate cup cakes and cheese scones for Mike, as well. Of course, Mike was delighted. She promised to give me a recipe. It would be lovely to reproduce her taste at home!

Our ceramics session on a rainy Saturday

Hi everyone! It has been raining all day. The good news is that our blackbird chick has survived. He is a bit wet, but he follows dad and mum, and copies what they do. I hope he will soon learn how to find his own food.


We did ceramics in the afternoon. Mike threw three bowls. I made a girl's head. I found old photo albums on the book shelf last night. Well, they have been always there, but I forgot about them for years. I found lots of photographs of me and my friends in The University of Kent when I was a post-graduate.

Wow, I was surprised how young we looked at that time. So long time ago, I had forgotten! lol The one of the photos caught my eyes. My friend and I were sitting on my bed in my room on campus. We look young and pretty, but also a bit uncertain. At that time my friend was studying Viola da Gamba at Conseratoire Royale de Brusells. I was here at UKC. We didn't know what was waiting for us after schools. In fact, we were both mid-20's, but we both looked much younger, almost girls. I wanted to make us as models. Something is our faces attracted me, especially as I knew what happened to us after this photo was taken. Also recently, I joined facebook to 'meet' my old high school friends in Japan, whom I haven't seen for a long long time. Talking with them reminded me of lots of memories. That's why I probably picked up the photo albums to begin with.

So this sounds like a sentimental journey, but modelling isn't. I like to express two young women's anxiety and unawareness of their fates as well as the beauty of youth in a complex way. It is a challenge, but I would love to try.

     

    

Little chameleon, friend visit and cheesecake

Hello everyone. Did you have a good day? Mike checked out our new kiln to see if there were any apparent faults. He assured me that everything is ok. Out first full test will be next weekend if the weather permits.

Start.

Our little kiln

I have been busy with packing of our ceramics. Unlike some other items, it is so important to pack them securely. I take the utmost care, and there was no accident so far (Touch wood!). but I am aware of that this is one of the most important process indeed.

This morning, I found a very nice lady in US who bought my medium sized chameleon, named now Griffin, about a month ago purchased my little one at Etsy. I was, of course, so delighted, but when I read her mail and feedback, I was deeply moved. Thank you very much, Sandra. I am going to print it and frame it. I always appreciate feedbacks. Direct feedbacks are one of the two missing things in Internet sales. The other is of course that the customers can't touch our ceramics. I read each of them either through Etsy or eBay carefully, and treasure them. I am certain that all other artist/craft people sellers are same. Feedback from our customers are the drive for us to create something new again.

This little chameleon is leaving for USA tomorrow.

Coincidentally, we invited a retired artists couple for tea today. They bought my largest chameleon at the Artists' Open House andthey named him 'Jubjub' and they also bought a little 'Son of Jubjub' last weekend. They are so inspirational. They have given me lots of advice, and I appreciate every word from them. They commissioned me to make a large chameleon. I am very keen to work on it. Our tea time was so relaxing, yet, filled with stimulating conversation. We love having them so much.

We served out cheesecake that we baked yesterday. It was well received.

Our cheesecake

Cheesecake recipe (Dia. 18cm cake tin)

This cheesecake is taster after one or two days in the fridge.

Ingredients

Base

Tea biscuits 50g

Butter 35g

 

A

Cream cheese 250g

Sugar 40g

Eggs 2

Vanilla essence

B

Sour cream 285ml

Sugar 40g

Vanilla essence

Line a cake tin with Greaseproof paper.

Make the base from tea biscuits ground finely and 50Gof melted butter mixed together with well, pat down evenly into the cake tin.

Mix 250g of cream cheese, 40g of sugar, two eggs and some vanilla essence and beat for a couple of minutes until very light then pour into the cake tin. Bake at 180C for about 20-25 mins. You can add some raisins soaked in rum at this stage.

Allow to cool and then mix 285ml of sour cream, 40g of sugar and some vanilla essence and beat for a couple of minutes then pour into the cake tin. Bake at 150C for 10-15 mins.

 

Feet samples, cheesecake and eBay

Hello everyone! there have been several showers in Canterbury today. Not good for drying laundry or dog walks. lol

We have had a good eBay this evening. It is SO nice to know that people come back to buy our ceramics. Thank you so much!

This morning, I fired several sculptures with enamel decoration. It was a success. Phew. I forgot to take photos of them, so I will show you tomorrow.


From late morning to early afternoon I also made samples of, well, feet! I made three, and I like these two.

Feet samples

In the afternoon, Mike made a cheesecake. I helped him. We are going to have a lovely artist couple for tea tomorrow. They adopted Jubjub, the largest chameleon, and one of the small ones. They called the little one 'Son of Jubjub. lol
  

Cheesecake in action

The first layer goes in...

This cheesecake is originally my recipe, but I guess it should be called his now. It is delicious and easy. I will type it here tomorrow with a photo.

 

In the meantime, despite all the action, our princess, Pearl, was enjoying her great sleep. She sleeps about 22 hours or a bit more a day. Not exaggerated.  

New rabbit girl

Hi everyone! I have had a good laugh today. They say laughing is good for health, I believe that. I feel laughing releases blocking in the body and head.

Rabbit girl

Profile

 This is my new rabbit girl. I say a girl, but she is actually a young woman. It is flax paper porcelain clay. I tend not to be able to sleep well after a busy day at office. But when I do a bit of ceramic, I usually fall to sleep easily and don't remember anything much until next morning. Touching clay is, I think, therapeutic, but also using a part of my brain which controls creativity removes edgyness derives from my tense day work.

  

Yunomi, new cup & saucer design and tulips

Hello Everyone. We had a sunny day in Canterbury. We saw on the news that Scotland and northern England had snow and storms! What a difference! I hope you are alright. Our lily flowered tulips opened this morning. I used to be a bulb fanatic, and have grown lots of unusual bulbs; some from seeds. But tulips have been my all time favourite.

Lily flowered tulips

I wamted to show you my new pots today, First one is a Yunomi for my friend, Anne. It was commissioned. I am very happy with the result. Glazes came out very beautiful.

  I have also a cup and saucer sample to show you.

My new cup and saucer

I would like to develop a coffee set. I am still exprimenting with the design and how the glazes act to the shapes. When I used to be interior designer at Tokyo, I would search for 'the right' items for clients for days on end. Lots of catalogues and days of walking were often required. That was pre-Internet days, you know. So it is liberating to me that now I can design and make what I like, rather than relying on other people's design. 


Our dogs are not alllowed to be on furniture. They know it. So when I came to lounge, Pearl made herself slim and still, as if she became invisible. It is not easy to scold her.

I am not a dog, I am a piece of art.

Saggar fired pots in Japanese way

We had another sunny day. After work, I showered our parrots. The wetter they got, the wilder they became. They love shower, unlike our dogs.


I have never shown any of my works fired in saggars before. I had kept them as if they were my secret treasures until this week, but something happened inside me, and I decided to put two works for sale on eBay. I think it was my 'let them go' moment. I felt unless I let my past (works) go, I wouldn't be able to create new things. 

I made a couple of saggars from crank clay, and used them to fire small items in a traditional Japanese way. I made three Sakazuki, which are used to drink sake in formal occasions, whereas Guinomi are used in casual occasions.


1 This is a very attractive piece. Except for a part of the outside all parts are matt. Pale olive green is a natural glaze that comes from leaves. The black parts were from stalks. Stalks got burned on the surface, so I had to grind them afterwards. Japanese sake connoisseurs wouldn't mind these firing marks as most wood fired pottery has marks. The atmosphere of the saggar became partly reduced; it turned grey clay body into a beautiful orange colour. Although it is matt, it is watertight. I wish I could make something similar to this again, but it is up to a chance. It is for sale on eBay.  

Partly reduced

Pale green part is natural ash glaze

2 This pot was fired in fully reduced atmosphere in the saggar. Hence, my pine ash glaze turned to green. It is natural celadon glaze. 

Making pine ash was a real pain. I burnt pine branches, washed the ash so many times, sieved it, and ground it by hand. It took me some months to make it. But when I saw the result, I felt it was worth the effort. I can see steel blue, dark brown, pale brown and green on it. Although it is intended for sake, it could look good to serve a small amount of fine hors-d'œuvre. Listied  also on eBay.

Full reduction

Natural celadon glaze from pine ash

3 This one also has same pine ash glaze, but the sagger remained oxidation atmosphere. As you can see, the atmosphere in the saggars makes such big difference to the pots. Each time when I was about to open a sagger, I became very excited with expectation. When the result was good, I did a little jig. I would love to do sagger firing again. It was such a fun!
 

Pine ash, oxidation

Yesterday, I suddenly remembered I made another successful firing with a saggar. Ta-da! My little Moomin! My childhood favourite TV hero. If you like to see more photos of him, you can see them on Etsy.  

Moomin fired in a saggar

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During a walk, Pearl and I met Holly and John. We had a good time together. Here is Holly, Pearl's new friend.

Holly, Pearl's new friend.