I was not able to write about this exciting workshop, because a lot happened last week with the preparation for my “Sakura” exhibition at the end of this month and my 2-week trip to the US.

On March the 4th and 5th I attended a Master Class Ceramics Workshop given by David and Margaret Frith at the International School of the Sacred School in Steve Tootell’s ceramics room and organized by Steve Tootell and the JapanASCD (Assoc. of Supervision and Curriculum Development).

David and Margaret are potters in stoneware and porcelain. They set up their first workshop in 1963. Their reputations are well established. David with his mastery of the potter’s wheel makes majestic pieces decorated with his personal style of waxed motifs under heavy reduction over- glazes and glaze trailing. Margaret concentrates on individual porcelain with carved decoration or colored glazes as well as producing a comprehensive range of domestic ware and decorative stoneware. Their pottery is housed in an 18th. century woollen mill which was later used as a brewery hence the name The Malt House. The mill is situated on the banks of the river Ystrad, on the outskirts of the market town of Denbigh, in the beautiful Vale of Clwyd in North Wales, UK. Their website is: http://www.pottery.demon.co.uk/

They taught us all kinds of throwing techniques and personalized it for each attendee. They showed us their way of throwing and trimming pots and the next day talked about decoration. For me some things were very familiar and I learned some different techniques especially for throwing big pots. They have 48 years of experience in making pots! I will add some YOU TUBE videos I took at the end of this blog, but next time it will be one movie. I have to learn to edit movies and put them together as one.

Steve introducing Margaret and David.

Margaret throwing.

David pulling up the clay for throwing a big platter.

David throwing a big vase in two parts. The base he threw the day before and the top he threw first separately and then turned it around and put it on the base. He is finishes it directly.

Some YOU TUBE MOVIES:

1. David and Margaret both throwing a plate:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_QJUsxzu08

2. David pulling up clay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td5GNJoX2P0

3. David throwing a big vase: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzn4t5Gf-I8

4. Margaret explaining decoration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzEE0hR3qaE

It was a challenge, because to throw the vase in one time with the clay I use is very difficult. So, it threw it in two and three parts and then when the clay was firmed up, you put the parts together.






After that, I continued shaping the form. And then I made my alterations when the clay was still soft leather hard.



I trimmed the foot after having it dried to a hard leather hard stage. It was possible to dry the vases in the open air (with no draft), because the temperature in Japan at the moment is hot and humid. So, it dries slowly.




After a slow bisque firing, I sprayed the glaze on the pot and then glaze-fired to cone 06 (1770 F/995 C).



I put the pot on stilts with metal points. I don’t have other ones. All-ceramic stilts, including the “points,” are preferable to metal-point stilts for heavier forms, because the ceramic “points” will not bend under extra weight. And so, this is exactly what happened. The points bent and the bigger vase didn’t fall against the wall, but against the other big vase! So, both were stuck together!! This was very, very unfortunate, because the color was exactly right.
I put them back into the kiln in a way so the big vase could fall back on the stilt when the glaze was melted enough. This was at 1500 F. The big one cracked “pang” when I opened the kiln, because of the thermal shock effect. The cold air going over the bigger vase was too much when I steadied it.

I had them cool down, but then I got my old problem with this glaze: the formation of craters. Sometimes they may be used to achieve textural emphasis on ware. Such glazes are usually produced by glaze compositi ons which liberate a gas during firing. As the gas bubbles reach the surface of the glaze, they may either break through to leave craters in the surface coating, or they may be trapped in the form of blisters. I don’t want those craters. I want a smooth red surface and for me it is a defect. A horizontal form, like a plate, is correctable, but a vertical shape is almost impossible, because the glaze flows down. The second time the craters were less and I tried a third time, but by now the red color had almost burnt out and disappeared and I had more craters!
A real bummer. It was an expensive lesson to learn by not using the right stilts.

Quite a small effective kiln and hardly any smoke.

The fire box.












View of the glow of the fire through hole in the chimney.

A mixture of sawdust and salt is put on wood which is shoved as far back into the stoke hole for salt-ash glazing.

The opening of the kiln.

Kusakabe-san holding a beautiful bowl.

Our results from the kiln.











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So, here we go!

This teapot was inspired by the tea set of my grandfather (see the blog entry of February 2nd).

Kamakura-Red “Angel” Teapot, 18,5cm x 10cm x 15 cm high, 7,5″ x 4″ x 6″.




“Wave” Kamakura-Red Bowl, 12cm X 7cm high, 4,5″ x 2,5″.




“Toward the Middle” Kamakura Red Plate, 21cm x 5,5cm; 8,5″ x 2″.

“Four Season” Kamakura Red Vase, 10cm x 10cm; 4″ x 4″.

“Circle of Life” Kamakura Red teapot, 22cm x 12cm x 14cm high; 8,5″ x 4,75″ x 5,25″.

“Moving Line” Kamakura Red Cup, 7,5cm x 8,5cm; 3″ x 3,25″.

“Owl” Kamakura Red Vase, 7cm x 11cm high; 2,5″ x 4,5″.

“Abstract Line” Kamakura Red Cup, 9,5cm x 8cm; 4″ x 3″.

“Lucky #8″ Kamakura Red Plate, 20cm x 20cm; 8″ x 8″.

“Lucky #8″ Kamakura Red Chalice, 12cm x 12 cm x 14cm high; 4,5″ x 4,5″ x 5,25″.

Here are some “Kamakura Red” pieces.

Tall “Japonica” Kamakura Red Vase

Kamakura Red “Wing” Vase

Kamakura Red “Japonica” Vase

“Towards the Middle” Kamakura Red Plate

He is born in 1947, and is a ceramic artist who lives in Taylors Falls, Minnesota. He studied at the Bemidji State University, and the University of Minnesota with Warren MacKenzie, and apprenticed at the Leach Pottery in England. He primarily makes functional work with minimal surface decoration and at the moment usually soda fired glazes. In his own words, “Function is at my core…never take function for granted…”
“My early pottery training at the Leach Pottery in England in the late 1960′s was heavily influenced by Japanese pottery, due to the fact that Bernard spent many years making work in Japan. Since that experience my work has slowly moved away from this direct influence. Although there are still the underpinnings of the pottery of Japan, China and Korea in my work, that being simplicity, directness of approach, I am doing salt glazing, which has its origins in Germany. (At the moment, he changed to soda fired glazes). I have one foot in Japan, one in Germany, and an interest in Art Deco architecture. All things considered, my approach is American, borrowing from as many sources that speak to me.”

His work can be found in the collections of the Everson Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Kansas City Museum, among others.

He started out with throwing some forms.

He cuts the already prepared cups with a cheese slicer.

His work is geometrical, colorful and interestingly decorated with straight lines and stamps.

At the moment, he uses a couple of soda fired glazes. Soda (Na2O, sodium) is used instead of salt (NaCl, sodium chloride) as in a salt firing, thus no dangerous vapors are emitted. However, the finish is not evenly coated as with salt firing. Soda is not as volatile as salt; therefore, blowers are needed to move the vapors around the kiln.

Thank you, Jeff. It was very interesting.

They wrote a book together about Japanese Wood-Fired Ceramics and built the Dancing Wood Fire Kiln at Solano College in California.

Marc Lancet is the Director of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts at the Solano College. He apprenticed at Kusakabe-san’s, who is a potter, ceramic artist, painter, teacher, kiln builder in Japan. That is how a friendship started and the book was one of the results.

Kusakabe-san showed his throwing skills by making Japanese bowls with a porcelain clay. Marc worked with a very coarse clay: grogzilla to built his sculptural vases.

Marc showing is slab throwing technique.

Kusakabe-san throwing and explaining.

Kusakabe-san altering the cup.

Kusakabe-san drawing in a slab colored with slips.

Kusakabe-san painting Sumie brushpaintings.

Marc showing his textured slabs.

Marc put colored slips on the slabs and on top of that Sodium Silicate, a liquid glass, which hardens the surface. Then when he increases the size of the slabs by slapping it on the block, it will crack the surface of the clay.

A collaboration slab.

Marc’s vases.

Throwing together.

Marc’s altered thrown-slab vase will be fired in the Dancing Fire Kiln at the Solano Community College.

Please, also read my other blogs about Kusakabe-san. He has a new website:  http://www.miharuarts.com/kusakabe/

In the mid-sixteenth century, the taste of ceramics changed from Chinese ceramics to domestically manufactured wares, or “wamono”.
Sen no Rikyuo refined this change: the aesthetic of “wabi-cha”: the spirit of simplicity of the tea ceremony. This unique world of “chado” (tea ceremony) used ceramic vessels and utensils rooted in Japanese aesthetics, especially Shino and Oribe ware from the Mino kilns.

Oribe ware was technically exquisite in its use of colored glaze, design, and shape. A variety of innovative ceramic wares, were manufactured, and an overglaze polychrome enamel was created that combined the new copper-green glaze, the most characteristic glaze of Oribe, with the traditional iron glaze.
In addition to the traditional round shape, we see objects with geometric shapes or those based on traditional designs, such as fan shapes and shapes that are purposely distorted.
The designs reflect those of mainly textiles: classical Japanese designs that were popular during the Heian period.
Oribe ware was fired in a multi-chamber climbing kiln, “Noborigama”. This type of kiln made it possible to fire ceramics more effectively.

Some new results from my work in America.

Glazed horsehair, fumed,crazed Raku bowl.

The other side, front or back of the glazed horsehair Raku bowl.

The foot of the glazed horsehair Raku bowl.

Glazed, fumed decorated horsehair bowl.

The foot of the bowl.