Ittel Bonsai Pottery
These are on the edges or outside the realm of bonsai and are not for sale, but they were fun projects.
This is Francesca. Francesca is not high-fired, but rather, a product of the raku kiln which is typical of crackle-glazes. While still a glowing-hot babe, she was dumped into a garbage can full of newspaper, the lid was slammed on and the can covered with wet towels to cool things down. This procedure provides a highly-reducing atmosphere with lots of carbon taken up by the glaze to highlight the resulting cracks. When cool, she was removed from the can, looking…. Well, ashen! Fine steel wool removed her grey pallor and remaining bits of newsprint. Why Francesca? It is a long, great story, but not quite appropriate for this forum. Leave it that one of my class instructors is named Frannie and she made up a great story.
Francesca
Bonsai and Kusamono Plaques
I had prepared a ceramic “Bonsai Plaque” and Young Choe happened to see it. She was intrigued, so she came to Wilmington to join me at the pottery studio where I make pots. We rolled various slabs of clay and imprinted them with flowers or other natural materials. Young then did calligraphy on the moist clay using a black iron ink we formulated. They were then bisqued and high- fired. I think they came out quite nicely.
BONSAI: This is the original and the letters are carved into the clay.
KUSAMONO: This shows Young’s calligraphy.
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These are on the edges or outside the realm of bonsai and are not for sale, but they were fun projects.
This is Francesca. Francesca is not high-fired, but rather, a product of the raku kiln which is typical of crackle-glazes. While still a glowing-hot babe, she was dumped into a garbage can full of newspaper, the lid was slammed on and the can covered with wet towels to cool things down. This procedure provides a highly-reducing atmosphere with lots of carbon taken up by the glaze to highlight the resulting cracks. When cool, she was removed from the can, looking…. Well, ashen! Fine steel wool removed her grey pallor and remaining bits of newsprint. Why Francesca? It is a long, great story, but not quite appropriate for this forum. Leave it that one of my class instructors is named Frannie and she made up a great story.
Francesca
Bonsai and Kusamono Plaques
I had prepared a ceramic “Bonsai Plaque” and Young Choe happened to see it. She was intrigued, so she came to Wilmington to join me at the pottery studio where I make pots. We rolled various slabs of clay and imprinted them with flowers or other natural materials. Young then did calligraphy on the moist clay using a black iron ink we formulated. They were then bisqued and high-fired. I think they came out quite nicely.
BONSAI: This is the original and the letters are carved into the clay.
KUSAMONO: This shows Young’s calligraphy.
Next