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Upcoming Exhibitions
The Elusive Teabowl March 12 - April 3, 2011
Lacoste Gallery Concord MA
Recent Work Exhibition May 27 - 29, 2011
Kobe Club Gallery Kobe Japan
Contact John for more information
The Scottish Potters Association Spring Workshop March 18 - 20, 2011
Solway Ceramics Centre March 26 , 2011
www.solwayceramicscentre.org.uk
2010 was a very busy year for me. It started out with a firing finishing on Dec. 31st just in time to ring in the new year. At the end of January I went to Seattle for a month of workshops in the Pacific Northwest. I also had a show at the wonderful Kobo Gallery in the International district of Seattle. I started with a workshop and firing at Shoreline Community College in a suburb of Seattle. Brendan Fuller, the tech for the ceramics dept. was wonderful in organizing everything. Great people there. We fired a small train kiln that, for its size, produced some stunning pots. Brendan who had built the kiln at Shoreline also had a smaller version in the backyard of his house in Seattle. I don't know if I'd want to be Brendan's neighbor, but his kilns are impressive. I fired again in the spring. This was a most enjoyable firing, albeit a bit sad. It was the last one with Amy and Aly, my Stokin' Babes (their name not mine). For 2 or 3 years they had been a cornerstone of the firing teams. While I'm not worried about finding able bodies to help load and stoke, their personalities are irreplaceable and they will be missed. This firing was followed by shows in Osaka and Kobe. In July I was back in the states, this time on the East Coast. I was invited back to Peter's Valley to fire the Noborigama. 3 years ago I was there to fire the Anagama. The noborigama is a much tamer beast. We had a good crew for it. It was a lot of fun and a lot of good pots came out. I always have to tip my hat to Bruce Dehnert who runs the ceramics program there. He creates both a relaxed and dynamic atmosphere where everybody is able to express themselves in an egoless environment. After The Valley I headed down to Asheville NC for a weekend workshop at Odyssey Ceramic Center. Great studio with nice people in one of the coolest cities I have ever been to. From Asheville, I headed up to Brevard to do a joint firing workshop with Judith Duff at her studio. This was the highlight of the summer. Judith and her husband Royle have a beautiful home and studio in the hills outside of Brevard. The workshop's focus was to simultaneously fire Judith's 2 wood kilns: her ever dependable train and her newer more finicky anagama. Judith had handpicked 10 students to participate, everyone with considerable clay and wood-fire experience. Judith would lead the train, I the anagama, with the students taking shifts in both. It was great fun as both kilns rose in temp. The train fired off first, the anagama 12 hours later. Both fired beautifully and everyone left with many wonderful pieces. Judith, who is such a dynamic potter, also put on one of the best workshop experiences of my life.
I returned to Japan in late August, and slowly started preparing work for a firing. I fired over the holidays and got some very satisfactory work. Please look at the 2010 pots page to see the new work. 2011 has a number of highlights to look forward to and new challenges to overcome. In March I'll be heading to Scotland to demonstrate at the Scottish Potters Association and the Solway Ceramics Centre in N. England. I'll fire sometime in late spring for my annual show at the Club in Kobe. A shock was the sudden closing of Gallery Shunn in Tokyo where I had had a show scheduled for April. This economy is one that will need a renewed focus on different ways to make a living as a potter. Thank you for taking the time to visit my website.
Shoreline Community College --- Train kiln
Gallery Kobo --- Opening party
Flynn Creek Studio
Nick Schwartz
Peters Valley Noborigama firing group
Bruce Dehnert and me.
Judith Duff's kiln shed
Judith's Train Kiln
Judith's Anagama
Judith and Royle Duff
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