This autumn was a busy and very gratifying
season for me. I hosted 3 potters from the
States: Susan Kotulak, a potter from New
York, Jim Shea, a Texas Potter and
Dan Russo, a potter from New Jersey. I had
met all three last summer in New Jersey while
teaching at the Peters Valley Craft Center.
I think it was a wonderful experience for
everyone. They were able to make pots, load
and fire the kiln. In the down time they
traveled around Japan.
Arriving in early October, they spent the
first week cranking out pots in my little
studio. While the pots were drying they spent
a few days in Kyoto. We then got to loading
which usually takes me 5 to 6 days, followed
by a 6 day firing. All went very smoothly.
We also had the help of my usual crew: Owen,
Kjell, John and Amy, Aly, Shiro, Fujimura
San, and Chika and Richie. We also had visits
from North Carolina potter Judy Duff and
her husband Royle, and Shigaraki potter Shiro
Otani. Otani San had fired the anagama at
Peters Valley some years ago, and had developed
friendships with Sue, Jim, and Dan. |
Susan Kotulak and me |
Kjell and me |
Dan stoking |
Jim and Susan opening the kiln |
John Aly and Dan |
It was one of my best firings to date. There
were beautiful firebox pieces, Shinos and
hiki-dashi. Please look at the work on the
'Fall Firing 08' page.
Lastly, I'd like to give my most sincere
thanks to Dan, Sue, and Jim. They were such
good sports. They were so far out of their
comfort zone, yet they never complained.
Sleeping together on the floor of our tatami
room, making pots, cooking, eating, and partying
in my studio; it's a cramped space that has
frayed the nerves of lesser souls. But nothing
but 100% positive energy out of them. It
was a wonderful time and I miss them.
Check out their work.
Susan Kotulak: http://www.tivoliartistsco-op.com/artist.php?id=733
Jim Shea: http://www.18handsgallery.com/artists.html or
Kjell Hahn made a short video of the firing. Quite
entertaining:
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=WCPPiwTKKkQ or at www.kjellhahn.com
Also, while back in Michigan last summer
I helped my 4th grade science teacher Jim
Martin fire his Olsen fast-fire kiln. In
an odd confluence of coincidences and serendipity,
Jim and his wife Judy had built a cabin and
later a kiln, near my parents summer home.
This summer was the 2nd time he fired it
and the first time tried for cone 10. Well,
those things aren't called "fast-fires"
for no reason. They are fast. We had cone
10 over in 7 hours! Unfortunately, although
we thought we had the kiln in a good reduction
(much to Judy's chagrin who was sure we were
going to burn down the island) the pots looked
very oxidized. That aside, it was a great
time and something we hope to build on next
summer.
|
Jim Martin and his kiln |
Judy wetting down the forest |
View from Jim's kiln (a more beautiful site
for a kiln I cannot imagine) |
Sake Server first fired in Jim's kiln then
refired in mine |
|
