Wood Fired Pots at Roger-san's ロジャーさんの所の薪窯

When someone starts making pottery, sooner or later one wants to try wood firing. I started making ceramic art as a student back in 1996. I made my own raku kiln. When I went back to Japan in 1999, I even built an experimental kiln using kiln shelves to imitate wood firing with my friend Kohtaro Ito.  We packed the kiln with vases and mangrove charcoal, and fired it for several hours. As a matter of fact, we were able to get similar effect to wood firing. We planed to built a a type of real wood firing kiln called "Anagama." The city, however, did not grant us the permission to build the kiln. After that, I went to a grad school for art program back in the U.S. Since then, I never really had a chance to put my own work in the wood firing kiln.
---time warp---
Last year in 2011, I started coming to this wonderful ceramic/pottery studio in NYC called Togei Kyoshitsu of NY. I heard much nice things about wood firing at Roger-san's. But not for me! I had to pass 4 chances to bring my work at Roger-san's because something always came up. After a year, I was finally able to go to Roger-san's!!
The process was pretty simple; we bring our pots to his studio. Glaze if wanted. Put "dango" (I am not sure what we call these balls in English) at any side of the pot so it would not stick to the self.
And leave them. Wait for two weeks. And go pick them up! This must be the easiest wood firing participation there is in this world. Or at least, it must be as easy as making a cup ramen. Thank you for making this so easy for us, Roger-san!

some of my pieces minus the pretty piece with a lid

from left, Rie-san, Yujiro-san, and Tomoe-san of Togei Kyoshitsu  (ひだりから、陶芸教室のりえさん、ユージローさん、トモエさん)

（りえさん、トモエさん、いつもおいしいお食事ありがとうございます！ユージローさん、いつも運転ありがとうございます！）

From right, Aki-chan, Roger-san, and me. (右からアキちゃん、ロジャーさん、僕)

Those pieces did not require sanding or grinding at the bottom. (バリを取らずにすんだ僕の作品) 

As a big fan of Ko Iga flower vases, this became a priceless experience to me. I am already planing on making new pieces for the next visit.

Next time, I will introduce Roger-san and other people's work as well.

陶芸を始めたら誰でも一度はやってみたいのが薪窯を使って自分の作品を焼くこと。1996年に陶土を使ってオブジェを大学で造り始め、ラク窯も自分で作った。1999年には僕の友達の宇都宮陶芸倶楽部の伊東功太郎と一緒に薪窯まがいを窯板を合わせて作り、マングローブ炭を使って焼き、それなりの結果もでた。その夏僕たちは陶芸倶楽部に穴窯を建てる予定ではあったものの、市からは許可が下りず、結局僕はアメリカにM.F.A.を取りに帰り、それからは薪窯で云々と言う話しは全くなかった。
タイムワープ
去年2011年に久しぶりに陶芸を始めた。僕が作陶に励むのはニューヨーク陶芸教室と言う所で、とっても良い所です。いき始めてすぐに、ロジャーさんの所で薪窯をやっていると聞き始めましたが、その後一年は僕には縁のない事になってしまいました。いくチャンスがあるごとに他の何かが持ち上がり、プランはペチャンになったのです。然し今回ついに僕はあのあこがれの薪窯に初挑戦できる事になったーっ！
プロセスはとっても簡単でした。はず自分たちの作品をロジャーさんの所に持っていく。釉薬をかける。団子を的確に付ける。作品を置いていく。二週間待ったら取りにいく。
なんて簡単なんだー！これではカップラーメン作るのと同じくらい簡単。ロジャーさんありがとう！
古伊賀花入れの大ファンである僕にとって今回の経験はとっても計り知れないものになりました。次の機会持っていく持っていく作品のデザインも、もうすっかり始めました。
次回は、ロジャーさんと他の人々の作品も紹介させていただきます。

Cobalt Dilemma

This is the end product of the past entry, "Conglomeration of Old and New." Cobalt on the 14" x 14" bowl.

It took me more than 7 hours putting cobalt underglaze on it. As you can see in the past blog, I paid attention to details. However, because of the glaze I chose, some fine lines and details are smudged. As the creator of this piece, I can say, "I don't mind the smudge." However, my wife would not drop the fact it looks unfinished and unintentional. (It doen't look that way to me.) It is a dilemma. For me, this obscured look has a certain character to it. I may be far more tolerant about imperfection than many other people. I see beauty in that. But, yes, I will also try to figure out how to make the bleeding of cobalt at minimal as well.

Gowanus Nite Market 12/08/'12

It was my first market experience to sell my work. I would not say I sold a bunch but I had fun with my friends and met cool people! It made me think about what I want to make for the market in near future. Here are some images of what I had at the market.

Table cloths I used on the table are from my vintage Iranian fabric collection. Some of them I have since I was in high school. Do I have a thing for Persian design? Yes. 

Yuki and I (Aki took this photo)

New Ones

There are new pieces I got this week.
1) This is from the entry, "New Design." Unfortunately, the glaze I used for this did not do what I wanted it to do. It came so even and clear! I wanted it to be more rustic,  some design obscured, and have black lines... Oh well, I will just have to draw a similar design and do it right next time.

2) I have been making this type of design lately and I like it. The glaze "Shirayuki" over cobalt gives nice look. I don't even mind smudged lines. 

3) I carved wood print rubber sheet to make multiple pieces with the same design. The glaze may be a bit too strong. But it is just a part of evolution of this line. On one side, there is a doe with an arrow above it and the other side, there is a stag with heart above it waiting to be shot though. With dark brown clay, I made mugs with the same design and with white glaze. It will have better contrast between the lines and the back ground. 

                                   

Conglomeration of Old and New

I am putting yet another unfinished piece in an entry. I used cobalt underglaze here as well.
I like traditional Japanese motifs like Peony, Chrysanthemum, or Japanese Aralia. But then I also throw in not so traditional approach like an antler, plants with roots, and giving angular design to balance otherwise a very traditional design composition.
Having spent hours on the design, I secretly thought it was pretty laborious task. Then I heard Mako, co-founder of Togei Kyoshitsu of New York, saying she has seen a documentary on a Chinese ceramic painter who had spent a year fishing a piece. It is a very humbling experience.

However, this kind of design excites me now, so I will just go at it!

Flower Arrangement by Maysoun

My wife, Maysoun, is a public health researcher, however, she also has a passion for flower arrangement. Once in a while, she does flower arrangement for weddings and other occasions. Today, she asked me if she could take the dust collecting vases I made so she can put some flowers in them for her work reception. I was curious to see what she would do with the vases because I made those vessels with tea ceremony in mind.
The shape comes from ancient Iga ware or "Ko Iga Yaki," (古伊賀焼). If there are undeniably Japanese potteries, this is one of them. Ancient Iga ware were produced in Azuchi Momoyama piriod in the mid 16th century, among which were flower vases with small handles or ears on the sides. With the special demand to be used specifically in tea ceremony fitting the taste of "Wabi Sabi," ornamental aspects of the flower vase were made minimal.  Those vessels were wood fired without glaze, hence, ash of the wood melted on the surface of the vases and created unintentional scenery or "Keshiki," (景色). The transformation that happens in the kiln is called "Youhen," (窯変). Because there are very little ways to manipulate what happens on the surface of pots in wood firing kiln, one has to take a chance for the end product. However, wood firing never cease to amaze and fascinate many ceramicist. One drawback with wood firing is that it can only be done as a rare occasion. Unlike gas or electric kiln, potters has to wait for firing wood to accumulate, and everything else that entails wood firing takes time and extra effort. While I had no access to wood firing back in 1999 when I originally started making this vase shape of ancient Iga style, I simply combined the ancient Iga shape and the glaze I liked, Hagi (萩) white. Since then, this shape had been my favorite to throw on the wheel. I have a theory of how the shape of ancient Iga flower vases came about, but I will wait for a different entry for that theory.

In any case, I was pleased to see Maysoun's flower arrangement. The white of the glaze, Shirayuki (白雪): it was made at Togei Kyoshitsu of New York, accentuated every colors there were in the arrangement. The mood of the room went really well with the vase and the arrangement. I would say it was a success arrangement!

Inspired by Korean Celadon-Glazed Porcelain

As I look at more different variations of Meiping in Chinese (梅瓶) and Maebyong in Korean (매병) vases, I am attracted to the Korean specimen produced in Koryo or Goryeo (高麗) period (918~1392). The ones I like use iron underglaze with Celadon glazed porcelain. Some of them have almost the entire plant in a natural form depicted on the vase as if the potters made deliberate effort not to patternize the plant. The result gives the look of a very natural and care-free plant that looks as if it is swaying with the wind on the side of a vase.
Although I really like the shape of Meiping vase, I used one of my bowl, and also, cobalt is readily available to me, I decided to use that instead of iron. So, my end product looks far from Koryo Maebyong vase, hopefully I captured the essence of what originally inspired me to make this piece.

new design

I am making stuff for Gowanus Nite Market for 12/08/12.

I decided not to go with many pieces because I just do not have time to produce that many and I am sharing a table with my friend, Yuki.  So, right now, I am just playing with a new design with cobalt underglaze. I am not sure what glaze I want to put over it though...
It is inspired by many things. I still like the loose "Karakusa"(唐草) or foliage scroll design. Putting the crescent moon above the stag's skull was my wife, Maysoun's idea. I hope it fires well.

Inspired by Persian Blue and White Tile

I bought a book in Japanese on antique ceramics of Asia in which I found a picture that I particularly liked.  It was a picture of Persian blue and white tile with two deer and plants around them.

The excerpt says the piece comes from Persia and was made in the 4th century. After doing some research online and in books, I could not find any record that backs up their claim on when it was made but it seems it is true that the first blue and white pottery was made using cobalt as under-glaze in Persia sometime in the 8th century. Later in the 13th century, the technique reached China and became what is know as "Chin Hua" (青花). When applied on porcelain in China, the contrast of blue and white became very vibrant and plant motifs became patterns.

The picture that I liked had much simpler look to it. Two deer running through woods. It had somewhat crude depiction of trees but yet it had a liveliness and mood that I was allured by.

I have no idea what deer symbolized back then in Persia but I somehow did not think it was merely a depiction of prey to be hunted. 

Anyway, I will continue thinking what about the picture I was so captivated by. Meanwhile, here are some examples of my take of the Persian blue and white tile and my approach using somewhat a similar technique.