Welcome to All in One Bonsa

Bitten by the Bug


Welcome to All in One Bonsai...a blog that aims to remind me of what I have forgotten. Over the years I have been finding out as much as I can about the art of bonsai. I hope the information in this blog will shed some light to the beginning bonsai enthusiast out there.


I saw some bonsai trees at a corner market one night in Taipei and asked the guy if he was willing to teach me how to create these miniature trees. He directed me to a night school where all the instruction was in Chinese. My Chinese ability is very ordinary at the least so although I was learning bits and pieces, I really wasn't getting all I wanted from the course. The best parts were when the teacher would start pruning a beautiful tree or when he showed us how to repot a bonsai. The mystery was still out there but my interest wasn't waning, if anything it fueled my motivation to find out more. And so I did.


Let the adventure begin...


Recently I have discovered the joy of pottery. Bonsai and pottery are close friends so it was only a matter of time before I was introduced to her. Welcome to All in One Bonsai...and pottery.


Feel free to visit my site where you can purchase some of my handmade pottery. Quite a few pieces have been wood fired as it is the prefered method here in Taiwan:


Esty Shop: AllinoneCeramics




Thursday 15 February 2018

MORE

MORE

Like anything, the more you do of something, the better the result.  I made my first pot in 2014 and since that time I have had many failures and frustrations.  But along the way, you gain experience and you learn what to do differently next time.  I am a believer in making as much as possible, as often as you can.  I only wish I had more time to make because I know that is how you improve.  We all know this.  And it is a lot of fun - fun is not the right word for it actually.  It is a release, bordering on an obsession.  You get absorbed and time stands still when you are working with clay.  I highly recommend it.  

Below are some pots that I have made over the past few months.  If you like any of these pots you can contact me directly or visit my etsy shop at Etsy - AllinoneCeramicsTW


This is one of my favorites.  I like what the wood ash dished up. The inside was clear glazed.  

I used a wooden cooking spoon with grooves to slap the side of this pot while wet.  




This tea bowl holds 600 ml.  It was the first time I used a shino glaze in a wood kiln.  It had an interesting result.

Trying to add some moving parts.

A tea caddy - soda fired.  


This bowl was gas fired.  Porcelain with a shino glaze.  The carved patterns are something new for me.




This bad boy turned out with plenty of character.  The foot ring was a little damaged in the firing.  




Soda fired with shino glaze.


I added a black iron oxide splash to the bisqued pot.

And a swirl to finish it off.
A new glaze.  I call it soft yellow.  White when thicker, brown when thinner, and yellow when applied just right.

I like the variation. 

Black iron oxide decoration.  

I like this guy.  Everything worked.

He is only small but very drinkable.

Soda fired for 14 hours.



A larger squared off tea bowl.

Soft yellow glaze applied.



Another smaller tea cup.  I like how he looks old.

Sake bottle.

Pours very nicely.

However, has a slight leakage near the foot.  If you drank quickly you could use it, otherwise it might just have to be for show.
I make a few sake cups to go with the bottle.  

It must be the camera angle.  They are wonky but have a better balance than the photos suggest.

Of the 6 that I made, I think this one is my favorite.
Small tea pot.
Clear glazed and then wood fired.
A small tea cut/sake cup.

A tea caddy with Japanese style lid design.



Soft yellow again.


The last one.  Shino on a mix of different clay bodies.  

Always trying to make the pot feel/look handmade.

One of your fingers can fill in this indentation.
 The more you practice the better your skill level, but not only that.  You become more efficient, you recycle wastage less, you make more pots, and probably the most important result of all of this...you will start to develop more creativity, trying new shapes, experimenting more with old shapes, and moving further along the road of producing a pot with character.

Take care out there!

Etsy - AllinOneCeramicsTW

1 comment:

  1. Great range of items once again. I love those soda fired pieces as well as your new buttery glaze! I was also very impressed with your Etsy site......the products look just as good as they do here and there is a nice selection offered for sale.

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