My Christmas Gift

My Christmas Gift

Well, Christmas has come and gone.  Out with 2015 and in with 2016.  The years seem to approach at a faster rate every year.  My small family and I decided to slide down to Australia for Christmas and see people.  Just before we left I boxed up a few pottery pieces that were due to be wood fired on Christmas Day.  My pottery teacher was kind enough to place them in a desirable position in the Maoli kiln for me and then also collect them after cooling.  He is a champion.

On returning to Taiwan I had to patiently wait.  It is such a buzz anticipating the results.  You never know what surprises or disappointments will come your way.  The aim is to at least get a couple of keepers!

It is meant to be a sake bottle, but it could masquerade as a bud vase.  I recently bought a paper back ground to help me with my photo taking.

I prefer this side.  The natural wood ash ended up smoother, almost pebble like.  

Some nice little splashes of color here and there.

I applied a Japanese shino glaze to the white fired clay.  The shino glaze is typically orange in colour so I'm not sure what happened here!

Drunk already!

A tea jar, possibly?  I bought a variety of different sized cork lids and have trying to throw the opening of the clay jar to fit the lid with the use of calipers.  This one worked.

I have been experimenting by adding more texture to my pots.  This guy has a few rings around the neck.

Proof.  I'm still undecided to sign my name in the clay, use the chop, or do both?

This section was quite shiny.  I do like how all parts of this jar were different.

Another sake bottle.  I kind of like it as a bud vase as well.

While the clay was wet I squeezed the sides with my pouring hand.  This way once fired it becomes easier to grab and pour.

I threw a few small tea/sake cups.  This could be a set.  

                               

Clouds and a sun set?  Not really.

A vase.  I liked this one because I convinced myself there was a mountain range on this pot.

With a golden wave.  The joy of wood fired pottery.

Some things moving around.

Those two lines in the pot were intentional.  While the pot was slowly drying out after I initially made it, I hit it with the sharp edge of a block of wood.

The seal.

Another lidded jar.  My plan is to use ceramic glue and stick a stone that fits on top of the lid.  I left a concave section for that purpose.  I am yet to find a suitable rock.

This one was quite smooth.

A close up of the lid.

A third sake bottle.  This one was my least favorite because of the rougher texture.

It still had a bit of character though.

There were some sections that were a little sharp to the touch.  I used some sand paper to try and make it more hand friendly.

Everyone likes looking at the foot ring right?

I threw about 10 of these cups.  The other 8 were either cracked or misshapen.  

2 from 10

Twins

These bad boys were interesting.  I wanted them to look like rock.  

I threw the opening of the body of these pots a little wide.  As a result the lids did fit, but it wasn't snug.  

The orange shino glaze trying to come through,

Another one.

These were fun to make.  A different style lid was what it was all about.

Another angle.

The foot ring next to my seal.

My first wood fired tea pot.  I want to make more tea pots.  I have made tea pots before but never placed them in a wood fired kiln.  

A nice contrast.

A hole in the lid to let the hot air escape.

We had tea with this tea pot last night.

The idea is to align the handle and spout in a straight line...as best you can!

Tea anyone?

I was reasonably happy with these results and feel like they were my Christmas gifts.  Hopefully, it is a good sign that 2016 will be a lucky one.  I wish you all have a brilliant 2016.

Cheers!

Please visit my online shop at AllinoneCeramics for these and other pieces.