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Monday 6 January 2014

Moomins and Karen Banks

Hello everyone. La-lala-La! I am in the good mood. First I have to tell you about the funny vision I had. Lasy Saturday I didn't do any ceramic. This often results in me having difficulties to fall into sleep. That night, despite I felt tired, I was completely away when Mike went to sleep. I quietly said 'Pon pon pon' because I was imagining about Karen who visited us earlier that day tapping her vessel. Then I suddenly saw a vision of a pot being made on a whirler; the first coil was placed on top of the round base on a whirler. It turned slowly, and then I saw mini Moomins, just like those I saw on TV program when I was a child, were making it. One was over the top of the coil and attaching it on to the base. The other one was standing on the edge of the whirler. He was joining coil and base from outside! What else would you do but watch them if you see two little chubby Moomins working like that? Obviously I couldn't sleep much on that night. Then Pearl who sleeps in our bedroom, cried about 0:30; she wanted to go to the garden! That didn't help. Too much imagination hinders my beauty sleep!

I was able to take good photos between torrential rains. I am so happy to show Karen's beautiful work here.
She makes delicate smoke fired ceramic vessels. They are just like herself.

They came in this little cute box.

A little bowl and a seed.

You can play with them!
The contrast between subtle colours of the bowl and black seed is beautiful. Inside is burnished and polished, but outside is rough. The holder will also read the bowl with their finger tips. Outside has beautiful brown marks from smoke. Thank you so much, Karen. I will treasure it.

You can see more of her work in her website.

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Yesterday morning, I saw beautiful clouds. Not quite fish scale clouds as we call in Japan. Nonetheless, beautiful and dramatic.

Yesterday morning
 There was a hole in the middle. A bit of magic.

8 comments:

  1. Clapping wildly at that wonderful sky ~ it is quite magical Midori .
    What a beautiful sight to see !!

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    1. Indeed! It did look like herring-bone patterned. : )

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  2. Oh Midori ! You have a good imagination to tell fairy tales :D
    Thank you for Karen's website. Her work is really beautiful. I love very much smoked ceramics, me too I do them... sometimes ;)

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    1. :D Thank you. Yes, her work is so delicate, sensitive and beautiful. I thought you would like them. : ) I would love to try smoke-firing in depth one day. : )

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  3. oh what a nice package to receive and it has been so cold here with swirly clouds, never heard of fish scale clouds must remember to look for them now.

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    1. She is so kind! : ) I have heard that parts of US is engulfed with arctic weather! I hope you stay warm, Linda. I don't think I have seen fish scale clouds here. So I think it appears in warmer climate. : )

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  4. Thank you for sharing some of Karen's work, I like it a lot.

    And those clouds which you have captured so perfectly are magnificent! I LOVE them. x

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    1. My pleasure! It is so lovely and delicate. : )

      Clouds are often inspirational. : )

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