It was a very busy day for Kasen studio. Sensei had many groups of one day pottery challengers (people who come in for an hour or so and, with Sensei's help) create some pieces. They then pick how they want them glazed and Sensei finishes them off for them and then they come back and pick them up. It's an easy way to keep business at the studio and definitely something I will consider when I get home.
Along with all the many guests for that, we got two more from the Explore Japanese Pottery program!! They are from Hong Kong and they are very friendly. Because Sensei is still renovating rooms, there wasn't room for them to live here during their visit. So, they are staying down the street. They saw me working on my spoons and asked the process, so I explained it to them the best I could of how Megumi had taught me.
Since the studio was so full, there wasn't room for me to work, and I wouldn't really be able to make much else anymore anyways. I helped Megumi with the pug machine though. Sensei and Megumi call it wedging the clay. We fed the slabs of clay that were brought to the studio from the clay company to the pug mill and it extruded them out as big logs. If the clay was really tough, we added some slip/reclaim to soften it up. We had fun and got into a rhythm of working together. Megumi said it went a lot faster having help compared to when she does it by herself. I wasore than happy to help. I learned the word for cut and the word for down. Cut- katto, and I couldn't find the spelling for going down, but it sounded like sagado?
Something exciting, the rest of my pieces were loaded into the bisque! Yay! I sorted out the pieces that were fired to determine what glazes to use and this week I will get started on that. I am so excited to see how they turn out. Still no computer so I need to get better at taking pictures on my phone as well to post. I promise to share A LOT when I can. Here's to another beautiful week!
Along with all the many guests for that, we got two more from the Explore Japanese Pottery program!! They are from Hong Kong and they are very friendly. Because Sensei is still renovating rooms, there wasn't room for them to live here during their visit. So, they are staying down the street. They saw me working on my spoons and asked the process, so I explained it to them the best I could of how Megumi had taught me.
Since the studio was so full, there wasn't room for me to work, and I wouldn't really be able to make much else anymore anyways. I helped Megumi with the pug machine though. Sensei and Megumi call it wedging the clay. We fed the slabs of clay that were brought to the studio from the clay company to the pug mill and it extruded them out as big logs. If the clay was really tough, we added some slip/reclaim to soften it up. We had fun and got into a rhythm of working together. Megumi said it went a lot faster having help compared to when she does it by herself. I wasore than happy to help. I learned the word for cut and the word for down. Cut- katto, and I couldn't find the spelling for going down, but it sounded like sagado?
Something exciting, the rest of my pieces were loaded into the bisque! Yay! I sorted out the pieces that were fired to determine what glazes to use and this week I will get started on that. I am so excited to see how they turn out. Still no computer so I need to get better at taking pictures on my phone as well to post. I promise to share A LOT when I can. Here's to another beautiful week!