Ceramics
Raku
In the technique of American Raku firing, each glazed artwork is taken from a kiln and placed in a reduction chamber lined with sawdust, paper and a reactive material like pine or redwood leaves.
Immediately the extremely hot vessel lights everything including itself on fire. The glaze emblazons the vessel with the properties of pine and redwood and the movement of flame.
Of all the work I've done, these Raku fired works seem to transcend my capabilities as a human. On one level it is a simple form made of very standard clay and glazes. Yet each work seems to have its own spirit. Each being one of a kind.
Eternal Song
Holding this hollow form, it has a weight, a presence.
Like Nature, it is a paradox of shiny and matte... at different times of the day. It is smooth and burred where tiny bubbles are caught at the moment of their release.
To capture it's color for this picture, I spent hours outdoors waiting to be held completely within clouds, waiting for the sun to breathe on it. And at that moment it lit up, there was a wondrous connection to the civilizations before, a moment that enriches the soul.
Rising Wave
Reflecting sunlight it smiles in the day, reflecting shadows it sleeps at night.
As I brought this back from the studio, in the dusk light, the rim started to lighten and be encircled with a glowing green brightness. It was always there but only visible at dusk... just for a moment.
Painting in Blue
I don't determine the colors that appear.
Reflected light and reflected shadow paint stories to be unravelled.
Every piece a mystery and a surprise. Each person interpreting the imagery.
Oasis Sunrise
When I ask folk at the studio what a glaze will look like after firing, the answer is always mysterious. After some thought they would say "... it depends..."
No one can predict and no one can repeat what appears so effortlessly during a firing, unhindered by human meddling.
Note: Raku work is not sufficiently vitrified for use as tableware.
Gloss
This series stands as one harmonious tone, like a prayer at the temple on a new year's day seeking harmony with family and friends. The pieces are made and fired with foodsafe clay and glazes. The gloss pieces are functional and invite interaction.
Jar
This bell-shaped jar was made in two pieces but is visually seen as one shape.
I imagine it can be held and rung to call folks to enjoy what is held within.
Flask
The cover of the flask can be removed to hold a snack or vitamins.
Bowls
For this series, I began with my thoughts of a bowl and its purpose. A saying emerged, "Warm Soup, Warm Heart". I wanted the saying to be written vertically and so three Asian languages were selected. I collaborated with three of my friends who were native speakers of Japanese, Chinese and Korean to help me come up with the characters for this phrase.
But then something incredible happened... Each friend offered an authentic saying from their own culture and language. It made me cherish my friends, their culture and our marvellous world even more.
Each tiny leaf in the middle of the bowl is the outline of a different golden ginkgo leaf.
Warm Soup, Warm Heart: Japanese
心も体もほっこりスープ
A warm soup untangles the heart.
The saying has the meaning that soup warms and relaxes both body and mind. " ほっこり is a Kyoto word that means both warm and relaxed so we use this phrase pretty often for warm food or tea."
Warm Soup, Warm Heart: Korean
따뜻한 국물로 마음을 녹이세요
Melt your mind(heart) with warm soup.
This seems to say that a bowl of warm soup can release the stresses of life.
Warm Soup, Warm Heart: Chinese
热汤养心 修身养性
"Warm soup nourishes the heart"
The saying reflects the health giving properties of soup. In fact traditional Chinese medicine is often prepared as a concentrated soup.
