Work, work, work and

Frogs with teeth

Back side of "See no Butterfly"

Front "See no Butterfly"

Back side "Hear no Butterfly" or Hare no Butterfly

I am not complaining, but loving having the time to do this.

It was a beautiful day in Shigaraki.  I finally left the studio.  I went with a new found friend to the neighboring city of Iga which is another pottery village.  Went to see where the clay is mined.  The clay here is a highly feldsparatic clay body, which leaves a nice white stippling in the clay.  It lends well to the ash atmosphere of a wood firing.

Next we went to see a couple of anagama (long chamber) kilns as well as a couple of noborigama (climbing fire) kilns.

Iga City 10 chamber noborigama kiln

Watashi wa yoki ni noborigama kiln. Me beside noborigama kiln

Traditional style studio with kick wheel in the box.

We went to several pottery shop that special in nombi ware .  Nombi ware can be placed directly on the fire of a stove or in an oven without cracking or shattering.  cool stuff.

Yes, I finally added a picture of me just in case you forgot what I look like.

We went to a traditional studio of a local famous potter. I cannot explain the atmosphere.  It felt of tradition  and ceremony.  The culture is so ancient, rich and deep.

After that we went to a tea factory.  Across the street was a tea field It is so beautiful.  it looks like wonderful lines of green hedges.

Shigaraki Tea Fields

We had some machi (green tea) ice cream. Yummm  We  went tho the Miho Museum here in Shigaraki and saw way yo much beauty for one day.  total sensory overload.  Beautiful art, beautiful gardens beautiful tunnel, beautiful bridges, beautiful waterfalls, beautiful words.  Oh come on, you have to believe there is a God!!!!

Okay, here is an update on my work.

"One of the Piggies"

Frogs

"This is Where I Get Off"

That is it for today.  and what a great day it was .  Hugs to all.<3<3<3  More work tomorrow C:

Another nice morning walk.  Yeah, no rain today.  And it was a little warmer.I can’t say that I brought the right clothing for this weather.

Another walk on the back trails.

Raphuliptus in bloom.

This is Ikuko she is making sculpture to be incorporated with metal.  They are cloud like sculptures that are going to have a metal chair base

I am very Thankful for Ikuko.  She speaks amazing english and has been lots of help to me.  She is leaving next week to go to Switzerland to do her graduate studies.  I am not sure how it will be without her.  She is witty, talent and beautiful too.

Ikuko at work

Ikuko's work

Rained again today, but not as much.

During my morning walk I ran into some local people doing a wood firing and I stopped to take a look.

Local wood firing in an anagama kiln.

A woman that was there helping was very sweet and offered me some home quiche.  I was sad to have to turn it down.  You know, the gluten thing.

Tonight I am featuring  Yugi,  He teaches ceramics at the local college and teaches fine arts at the local Junior High.  He is a full time artist in residence in his spare time.  What an amazing young man. Here he is making his tiles…It is quite a process.

Yugi at work making his tiles.

Each tile will  have a grid appear in it when it is fired. Yugi applies slip to a board and then places mud on it, lets it stiffen up, roles it out in a slab, cuts it up and then puts it together into tiles.  I have no Idea how that grid reappears.

Here are some of his slabs drying.

Yugi's tiles drying.

Another busy day, but I took to walks.  My early morning walk was amazing.  I found several stair in to a forested area.  It is so beautiful, lush and green.  We have had plenty of rainfall.

the wooded path

I have another artist for you today her name is Tomoko.  She works with layered porcelain.  She carves through the layer until she reaches her desired color to make her designs.  It is amazing work and it takes many hours to do one piece.

Tomoko at work

Tomoko's work

Rained all day again today.

Still, we got a lot of work done.

One of the Piggies

This is France at work,  she is a resident artist from Montreal, Canada,

Then, there is my new piece, “one of the Piggies”

It's All About Me

Detail: It's All About Me

Wow, the clay is really different here.  It is very sticky and groggy.

Kasumi at work painting liguid silver

Okay, here is my new piece.  Of corse it is not fired yet. but it is ready to be fired.

One of Kasumi's finished pieces. These beautiful pieces are huge.

This is the of a Japanese artist that is working next to me. Her name is Kasumi,  I do not know last names because the first names were hard enough to learn.

Looking forward to sending the work of a different artist  tomorrow.  :D

The Crystal Inn

Well, this is not the best way to start a big adventure.  I am stuck in a hotel in denver because I thought that it would be better to take a plane from Alamosa than to drive to Denver. One lesson learned already on this trip.  My luggage made it all the way to San Francisco.  The big adventure will begin again tomorrow.

At Least I had a nice walk.  I can think of a couple of places worse to be stuck,