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Saturday 9 February 2013

Lovely pots from our first firing of the year

Hello everyone. Yesterday morning I woke up very early. It was before dawn, about six o'clock because I was excited to see the result of our firing. I had put several experimental pieces in it. Mike and I trotted to the garage in the cold morning air. Yeah! So happy! Here are two of my favourite ones.

Large guinomi, porcelain
  The first one is my favourite side. I love the black and red spots as well as 'dry' looking brush marks.

I love the big swish.
 I used black and red in reference to Japanese ink drawing.

Porcelain sake cup
 The next one is guinomi. It will be in your palm; typical guinomi size.

My favourite side
Sgraffito
 
This dark brown is black iron oxide. It need thick application to get a strong colour, but that way brush marks would be lost. I only did once, and it looks thin after firing.

Dark brown was Black Iron oxide,. 
 It is liberating to decorate pots like this. In Japan where I am from, cobalt oxide is widely used for decorating porcelain by professional specialists. I always admired their skills. I do a free-style with my Japanese calligraphy brushes and Chinese painting brushes. They are wonderful on ceramics, too. You need to practice different strokes before you could use the brushes well in the way we do, but it will be all worth it. (Japanese children have once a week calligraphy class in primary schools. I had never dreamt of the repetitive practice on strokes would ever become useful one day in UK!)      

2 comments:

  1. I really like your work here Midori :)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Patricia. So do I. I've decided to do more of this type; it is such joy!

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