Yesterday, Adriaan and I went to Mashiko with Steve Tootell (Head of the Creative and Performance Department from the International School of Sacred Heart), who was driving up with 2 students to make a movie about the aftermath of the earthquake in Mashiko. Koichiro Isaka-san fro ... Continue Reading
For 3 days I participated in The 10th World Art Educators’ Workshop featuring IKUZO FUJIWARA and coordinated by Steve Tootell, ceramic art and performance art director from the International School of The Sacred Heart in Tokyo and facilitated by Euan Craig, a Mashiko woodf ... Continue Reading
The last day we finished several projects and raku fired our glazed pots. Steve explains how the procedure goes. Steve starts the gas firing.The temperature will be at 900 Celsius in 1 hr. Almost ready for take out. Jennifer taking out pots. You put the pots in a trash can. ... Continue Reading
After returning to the International School of Sacred Heart we glazed bisques pots for the raku we would do the next, last day. Kusakabe-san showed us how. In the evening we enjoyed our last dinner together in a Balinese restaurant. Milan, Ixchel, Euan, Jennifer, Helen, Cat ... Continue Reading
Kusakabe-san showed us the next day how to trim Japanese tea bowls. Every tea bowl has its own characteristic foot “kodai”. He starts out trimming with a bamboo stick to make it even and to clearly mark the beginning of the bottom part of the bowl. And of cour ... Continue Reading
I am on my way back to the US and am in the train from Kamakura to Narita Airport what will take about 2 1/2 hours. A perfect time to continue my writing until the battery runs out. The 2nd day started out with a demonstration of Euan Craig to make different kinds of ceramic ware ... Continue Reading
The 9th World Art Educators’ Workshop in Tokyo, Japan started in the evening with a first meeting for signing in and dinner. But before that we prepared for the coming days. Steve Tootell was the organizer of the workshop. The two Master Potters were Euan Craig and Kasakab ... Continue Reading
The internet works better,so, I’ll try again some pictures. Some pots from Euan’s Anagama, actually, down draft wood kiln. Read his essay about his kiln firing; website given underneath. The inside of this vase is covered with a Tenmoku glaze. On the outside, you see ... Continue Reading
Kusakabe-san, Euan and Wali gave a throwing demonstration during the workshop. “Play and do what feels good” “Use anything to shape your pots.” “Give a happy feeling to the pot”. Wali throwing nice and smooth bowls. Throwing of ... Continue Reading
Next day, we filled Euan’s kiln, but with all the pots we only filled it half way. So, Euan went home to get some more pots. So, this meant that there was not only bisqued ware (already fired one time and changed from clay into stone), but also greenware (clay never fired b ... Continue Reading
