new work posted to site
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Mike
Jun 30, 2009, 5:29:07 PM6/30/09
to Clay...@googlegroups.com
Hello,
Were into the 3rd day of the latest torrential downpour here in Saga, so
I've been spending much time indoors getting things done that I usually
avoid, such as web page catch up, picture taking, cleaning, etc...
Finally got around to taking a set of photos from the latest firing and
posted them here for anyone who cares to have a look:
http://www.karatsupots.com/NewWork/index.html
The teabowls were a big surprise, blacks came out green, greens came out
grey and black. Wasn't looking for yohen, but they are slowly bringing
me around.
Hope everyone is staying dry in your respective parts of the world.
Mike
--
Mike
in Taku, Japan
www.karatsupots.com
karatsupots.etsy.com
karatsupots.blogspot.com
karatsupots-nihongoban.blogspot.com/
Ann Brink
Jun 30, 2009, 7:34:15 PM6/30/09
to Clay...@googlegroups.com
Hi Mike,
We are way TOO dry here in the central coast of California.
Oh, I love the pots! In fact seeing all those crusty, BURNT looking pots
make me look at mine and say, "Where's the clay?" I've noticed a desire in
myself to go toward the mat glazes, stony looking, not as shiny and pretty.
But here is the reality: My main place to move a lot of pots is an annual
Arts/Crafts outdoor show here in town. I just spent 3 days selling there
and did quite well, have a lot of loyal customers, etc., but I would say 90%
of what sold was serving bowls, bakiing dishes, plates & platters, and some
mugs. The other ten percent being vases or small bottles, etc.
I especially liked a squared off water jar (?) with stamped impressions
inside. Is interior decoration traditional for certain things, or is that
just something you do? A lot of your pots had wavy, whitish runs that were
like waterfalls, in one size scale, or a patriarch's beard in another scale.
Ann Brink
<www.annsgoodies.blogspot.com> (mostly about pottery)
We are way TOO dry here in the central coast of California.
Oh, I love the pots! In fact seeing all those crusty, BURNT looking pots
make me look at mine and say, "Where's the clay?" I've noticed a desire in
myself to go toward the mat glazes, stony looking, not as shiny and pretty.
But here is the reality: My main place to move a lot of pots is an annual
Arts/Crafts outdoor show here in town. I just spent 3 days selling there
and did quite well, have a lot of loyal customers, etc., but I would say 90%
of what sold was serving bowls, bakiing dishes, plates & platters, and some
mugs. The other ten percent being vases or small bottles, etc.
I especially liked a squared off water jar (?) with stamped impressions
inside. Is interior decoration traditional for certain things, or is that
just something you do? A lot of your pots had wavy, whitish runs that were
like waterfalls, in one size scale, or a patriarch's beard in another scale.
Ann Brink
<www.annsgoodies.blogspot.com> (mostly about pottery)
Mike
Jun 30, 2009, 8:14:56 PM6/30/09
to Clay...@googlegroups.com
Wow, well you'd love it here then, I've got about 2 inches of standing
water around my workshop right now, and there is something that looks
like kelp growing in clumps around the yard. I wonder if it's edible...
I'm glad you like the pots, I have to say I wasn't aiming for crusty or burnt, but was just trying to spruce up a couple of plain looking glazes I have. I think I stumbled onto something good. The bowl with the bubbly surface/green surface has a real nice luster effect, which is hard to see in the photo. That glaze is a high iron, basically tenmoku glaze, don't know how it went green. I wonder if I'll ever see that again.
I understand the reality of your market. The show last fall in Seattle showed me a lot about what sells to Americans. Larger work, and much tableware. Work made for Japanese tabletops is a stretch for Americans, and vice versa to a degree (though younger Japanese seem to like western style shapes with traditional glazes.). I think that if I want to sell in the US, I'll have to come up with two lines of wares.
The water jar and the flower vase are coil and paddle, that's why there's a pattern on the inside, it's just a by-product of the method, but it looks nice with the white pooling in the circles. Need to make a lid for the square jar, that will be an interesting endeavor. I can't afford to order one from the lacquer people, too expensive. The waterfall runs were where the white went in too thick, my preference is for the more controlled runs (patriarch beard style) because it looks a bit more refined, and there's a lot less grinding to do....
I'm glad you like the pots, I have to say I wasn't aiming for crusty or burnt, but was just trying to spruce up a couple of plain looking glazes I have. I think I stumbled onto something good. The bowl with the bubbly surface/green surface has a real nice luster effect, which is hard to see in the photo. That glaze is a high iron, basically tenmoku glaze, don't know how it went green. I wonder if I'll ever see that again.
I understand the reality of your market. The show last fall in Seattle showed me a lot about what sells to Americans. Larger work, and much tableware. Work made for Japanese tabletops is a stretch for Americans, and vice versa to a degree (though younger Japanese seem to like western style shapes with traditional glazes.). I think that if I want to sell in the US, I'll have to come up with two lines of wares.
The water jar and the flower vase are coil and paddle, that's why there's a pattern on the inside, it's just a by-product of the method, but it looks nice with the white pooling in the circles. Need to make a lid for the square jar, that will be an interesting endeavor. I can't afford to order one from the lacquer people, too expensive. The waterfall runs were where the white went in too thick, my preference is for the more controlled runs (patriarch beard style) because it looks a bit more refined, and there's a lot less grinding to do....
Ann Brink さんは書きました:
Louis Katz
Jun 30, 2009, 8:17:16 PM6/30/09
to Clay...@googlegroups.com
Rain, we need it. Send some our way. It is odd but some years the tropical weather (read hurricanes) is the only way people can get enough water to live here. Frequently when our resevoirs are nearly dry a hurricane comes by and fills em up.
I am at work late tonight firing a oncefire soda kiln with handbuilt student work. I may have blown something, but the schedule is too tight to unload and see. Our summer sessions are short and we call it close. My students called it too close and lots of stuff was still damp... So it goes. Probably should have left it out. Always a hard call in the summer.
The kiln is a 30 cu ft or so soda kiln on natural gas (methane). We just got a kiln yard expansion and a roof beam was designed to go in right up against the chimney. I had built the chimney hoping it would last 20 years and that I would not have to rebuild. Instead I had to move it.
So I took it down and rebuilt it 3 feet away with a small chamber between it and the kiln. It really is just an enlarged flue channel with a door. We call it the flumber or flue-ber . Then the engineers came and said we had to move it again. This time however they pushed it. Unfortunately they started with a sledge and the chimney is funky. The finished with a car jack and that worked well.
We now have an enlarge flumber. WE don't add any fuel for it and just fire it on the scrap heat. It is really a thermal gradient kiln with cone 9 on one side and cone 1 on the far side. We are using other glazes in it. The shinos are spectacular really cold but they shiver off the pots. I will probably fiddle with the recipe as I really like them.
Picture attached.
Y'all have fun.
Louis
--- On Tue, 6/30/09, Ann Brink <anns...@verizon.net> wrote:
I am at work late tonight firing a oncefire soda kiln with handbuilt student work. I may have blown something, but the schedule is too tight to unload and see. Our summer sessions are short and we call it close. My students called it too close and lots of stuff was still damp... So it goes. Probably should have left it out. Always a hard call in the summer.
The kiln is a 30 cu ft or so soda kiln on natural gas (methane). We just got a kiln yard expansion and a roof beam was designed to go in right up against the chimney. I had built the chimney hoping it would last 20 years and that I would not have to rebuild. Instead I had to move it.
So I took it down and rebuilt it 3 feet away with a small chamber between it and the kiln. It really is just an enlarged flue channel with a door. We call it the flumber or flue-ber . Then the engineers came and said we had to move it again. This time however they pushed it. Unfortunately they started with a sledge and the chimney is funky. The finished with a car jack and that worked well.
We now have an enlarge flumber. WE don't add any fuel for it and just fire it on the scrap heat. It is really a thermal gradient kiln with cone 9 on one side and cone 1 on the far side. We are using other glazes in it. The shinos are spectacular really cold but they shiver off the pots. I will probably fiddle with the recipe as I really like them.
Picture attached.
Y'all have fun.
Louis
--- On Tue, 6/30/09, Ann Brink <anns...@verizon.net> wrote:
Hank Murrow
Jun 30, 2009, 9:03:19 PM6/30/09
to Clay...@googlegroups.com
On Jun 30, 2009, at 2:29 PM, Mike wrote:
Hello,Were into the 3rd day of the latest torrential downpour here in Saga, soI've been spending much time indoors getting things done that I usuallyavoid, such as web page catch up, picture taking, cleaning, etc...Finally got around to taking a set of photos from the latest firing andposted them here for anyone who cares to have a look:The teabowls were a big surprise, blacks came out green, greens came outgrey and black. Wasn't looking for yohen, but they are slowly bringingme around.
Dear Mike;
I see what looks to be some iridescence on a few of the chawan........ if true, how do you explain it?
Hope everyone is staying dry in your respective parts of the world.
Trying to see if I may have the $$$ for a trip to Taku in 2010...... or ?
Cheers, Hank
Hank Murrow
Jun 30, 2009, 9:11:28 PM6/30/09
to Clay...@googlegroups.com
On Jun 30, 2009, at 4:34 PM, Ann Brink wrote:
>
> I especially liked a squared off water jar (?) with stamped
> impressions
> inside. Is interior decoration traditional for certain things, or
> is that
> just something you do?
Dear Ann;
Mike will step in here and clarify, but I am guessing that those
patterns are in part to 'solidify' the walls of handbuilt pieces.
Mike's clay is pretty tender as you can see from the cracks, divots,
and patches. Perhaps those stamped patterns help 'solidify' the
structure.
Cheers, Hank in sunny Eugene(finally!)
Swanica Ligtenberg
Jul 1, 2009, 2:24:18 AM7/1/09
to Clay...@googlegroups.com
Hi Mike,
I like the waterfall on the pot the best. Really interesting. And then the stamped bottom too.
Sorry, to say, but should it not say: "May 2009". Does the rain make you go back in time?
I'm going to Koya-san on Saturday!
Greetings,
Swanica
www.swanceramics.com--
Greetings,
Swanica
www.swanceramics.com
I like the waterfall on the pot the best. Really interesting. And then the stamped bottom too.
Sorry, to say, but should it not say: "May 2009". Does the rain make you go back in time?
I'm going to Koya-san on Saturday!
Greetings,
Swanica
www.swanceramics.com
Greetings,
Swanica
www.swanceramics.com
HAMBONE
Jul 1, 2009, 5:11:58 AM7/1/09
to ClayCraft
Mike: Here in Alexandria, VA, it is starting to dry out a little,
although it has been wetter and cooler tha I expected, but NOAA say
the averages are hotter than normal. I have been sitting outside
getting sun & vitamin D for a change and have a nice tan/burn going
the pots look so good - good job
h a n s e n
although it has been wetter and cooler tha I expected, but NOAA say
the averages are hotter than normal. I have been sitting outside
getting sun & vitamin D for a change and have a nice tan/burn going
the pots look so good - good job
h a n s e n
Richard Mahaffey
Jul 1, 2009, 9:12:07 AM7/1/09
to Clay...@googlegroups.com
Hey, Mike Great work!!!
I just got the chance to check it out. We are doing the first firing of the
kiln Steve and I built, I am on shift in a hour and 20 minutes. We started
it at 12:30 am on Tuesday.
Ki wo tsukette ne!!
Rick
Mike
Jul 1, 2009, 4:36:10 PM7/1/09
to Clay...@googlegroups.com
Hah, hah... It should shouldn't it? It was the Mashiko gathering that
had the typhoon blow through just before everyone arrived right? I got
there the night before in the rain, and thought the building was going
to come down on me that night.Got up in the morning and my shoes were
floating in about 8 inches of standing water in the entryway. The local
stray cat who usually gained entrance to the building by going under
and coming up in the entryway was trapped inside because his usual
pathway was flooded.
Have fun!
Have fun!
Swanica Ligtenberg さんは書きました:
Lee
Jul 1, 2009, 4:42:38 PM7/1/09
to Clay...@googlegroups.com
Work looks grea Mike! I haven't been able to get my old white and
black glazes to work in the soda kiln. The Kaki's either. Going to
fire reduction after next soda, so I can do my Mashiko glazes.
--
--
Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a
faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant
and has forgotten the gift." -- Albert Einstein
black glazes to work in the soda kiln. The Kaki's either. Going to
fire reduction after next soda, so I can do my Mashiko glazes.
--
--
Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a
faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant
and has forgotten the gift." -- Albert Einstein
Mike
Jul 1, 2009, 4:44:13 PM7/1/09
to Clay...@googlegroups.com
Hi Hank,
Yes, that one chawan has a bit of a luster to it. Couldn't say why. That was the only pot with that particular glaze in that saggar. My guess is the charcoal, but I have no idea how or when. Those two Karatsu Ido bowls were in the same saggar. That one pot with the luster was glazed with a local stone mixed with 5% ash. Usually turns out a thick semi matte black, I have no idea why it decided to go green where it did.
Still planning for the workshop in fall of 2010, love to see you here...
Yes, that one chawan has a bit of a luster to it. Couldn't say why. That was the only pot with that particular glaze in that saggar. My guess is the charcoal, but I have no idea how or when. Those two Karatsu Ido bowls were in the same saggar. That one pot with the luster was glazed with a local stone mixed with 5% ash. Usually turns out a thick semi matte black, I have no idea why it decided to go green where it did.
Still planning for the workshop in fall of 2010, love to see you here...
Hank Murrow さんは書きました:
Mike
Jul 1, 2009, 4:47:11 PM7/1/09
to Clay...@googlegroups.com
Wow, you guys finished it, eh? How big did it finally get after all
was said and done? Let me know how those Olivine lintels hold up.
How long will you be firing?
Have fun and take care,
How long will you be firing?
Have fun and take care,
Richard Mahaffey さんは書きました:
Richard Mahaffey
Jul 1, 2009, 8:54:11 PM7/1/09
to Clay...@googlegroups.com
Mike so far so good. We worked at reducing the smoke after stoking and had some success, but we did not totally eliminate the smoke.
We ended up adding another 6 feet to the chimney and that helped reduce the smoke a bit, we think.
Rick
We ended up adding another 6 feet to the chimney and that helped reduce the smoke a bit, we think.
Rick
Wow, you guys finished it, eh? How big did it finally get after all was said and done? Let me know how those Olivine lintels hold up.
How long will you be firing?
Have fun and take care,
Mike
in Taku, Japan
www.karatsupots.com <http://www.karatsupots.com>
karatsupots.etsy.com
karatsupots.blogspot.com
karatsupots-nihongoban.blogspot.com/
Richard Mahaffey さんは書きました:
Hey, Mike Great work!!!
I just got the chance to check it out. We are doing the first firing of the
kiln Steve and I built, I am on shift in a hour and 20 minutes. We started
it at 12:30 am on Tuesday.
Ki wo tsukette ne!!
Rick
On 6/30/09 2:29 PM, "Mike" <mi...@karatsupots.com> <mailto:mi...@karatsupots.com> wrote:
Neon-Cat
Jul 2, 2009, 12:00:31 AM7/2/09
to Clay...@googlegroups.com
Hey all -- really enjoyed the photos Mike! Interesting work and great details in the pics. You inspired me to load and fire (finished a long 21 hour firing and wish it was morning already).
Nice mugs Gary -- soothing video, too!
Thanks for sharing!!
Send your rain Texas-way -- it is hot and hotter with zero rain.
Marian |
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