An Aussie in Japan

I drop into this blog on occaision:
http://euancraig.blogspot.com/

Love his latest posting on making of teabowls:

Quote: "The making of tea bowls is, for me, a quiet and gentle thing. Just as a tree cannot be forced to grow, just as a child must be nurtured, the clay must be allowed to take form. It is my task to stay still and wait for the bowl to find a shape that fits my hand, and to know when to release it. It is about being aware of the changes happening before your eyes and recognising the moment, and it is like holding a child's hand firm enough to guide it, but never too tight."

This was my attempt at a teabowl with matching box.  Wish I had been able to read Euan's words before trying to make it :)

Josie's Vase

Josie Jurczenia, of the USA, blog : http://www.josiejurczenia.blogspot.com/
had her entry in the book 500 Vases mislabelled.  Check out her vase on page 282
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhY5CClT6qLSEsuOSYMbean219EKql1gPUUyt_uMrNOgpJJorVRrUfKyGHyA0ZLli2AO6uPvxo3LrDtMC-CTjpyo6WIraiXE7Iwp8fKaXa59WmtODUqxy8Qtryts5VsLwPhzieg/s320/Pomegranatesamll.jpg

Pink October

I have donated these pieces for a silent auction to raise money to help the Breast Care Nurses at a local hospital who do such a wonderful job helping women through their Breast Cancer treatment.  I hope someone will fall in love with them and bid a really good price for the very good cause.

Close ups on request

Here is a close up of my winning set - thanks for asking

A small exhibition piece

All ready to be sent off to the Matchbox Show. One of my porcelain buttons.


http://www.matchboxshow.com/home.html

Really pleased

I entered the Port Hacking Potters 46th National Competition hoping I might get a Merit Award and I won the Section.  I am really, really pleased.

It was the Open Paperclay Section #4 and the wall hanging, jewellery dish and candle holders form the set titled "Boudoir Nostalgia".

near St Ives

this field of wind turbines was very impressive....

And here is a British beach on a warm summer day...

The Leach Pottery

The pottery run by Bernard Leach and Janet Leach has become a museum.  It is in St Ives, UK.

The new gallery showing works by Janet Leach, very similar to Lucie Rie works

The workshop - materials store

the kiln

Raku results

Some mixed results from the raku firing with the Port Hacking Potters Group at a day hosted by some Bundeena potters.

I am pleased with the lidded turtle container....

Raku Day at Bundeena

My nephew took these photos at a Raku Day held at Bundeena with the Port Hacking Potters Group.

The pots are heated in a special fast firing gas kiln - when it gets to 1000 Deg C the lid is lifted and the pots removed and placed in a sawdust container.  When the sawdust is added the heat from the pots causes it to flame up.  The sawdust container is then covered and the pots are in a reduced oxygen environment to mature the glazes and cause irridescence to be produced.

Some results: