Friday, September 18, 2009

Giraffes in the kiln


Hurray! was my first reaction when I opened the kiln yesterday as my long necked giraffes stood a tall greeting. Being a tough bunch you can see they have stood their ground during the firing and have kept their heads up high. Here is quick in the kiln photo of them. More refined portraits will come later.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

After TeaChat

Really I have no business making a chawan. To begin with I don't believe I've ever had tea from one. Regardless I have found a particular inspiration in seeing bonjiri's hand made chawan. It reminded me of my fascination and love affair with the fruit and tree called the hedge apple.
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That picture of a picture is me on a slimmer & sunnier October day a few years ago. I was collecting the lovely and lumpy fruit of the hedge apple tree.
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I was in love with their form and their color. Wow their color it is such a wild chartreuse! They also have a lovely sharp, citrus odor and the trees that bear this fruit are just wonderfully gnarly.
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There also is a pleasure in being around these trees. I find a quiet and dark spirit in them. It seems to me their darkness is not a scary thing. Rather it is like sitting in the darkness of a chapel with the sun streaming in though the stained glass windows. In all I had a lovely time collecting these fruit. More later on how I made press molds from them & the difficulties I had trying to join the organic fruit form and surface to the mechanical forms that came from the wheel.