I took up a "Traditional Japanese Handbuilt Ceramics" course late last year. It was a very interesting experience, learning how to make your own untensils. In the first class, I made these 2 bowls, they looked a bit wonky, because they were painstakingly hand-crafted by my stubby fingers! Ok, I did try to make them level but being a beginner, there were a lot of trial and errors, and I think it turned out not too bad! haha...The bowl with the black glaze and specks of white glaze, which I created using a toothbrush, had a crack inside the bowl. It was from a hairline crack originally, which I thought didn't matter but it did.....because the clay will "contract" after it was blazed in a 600-odd degrees kiln, and the crack became even more prominent. Lesson 1 learnt! So I thought I better make another bowl in case the first bowl leaked (although my sinseh kept reassuring me that it can still be used, no problems...I think she was just being nice and encouraging), and hence the white bowl...the white glazed bowl did have brown specks on it but after firing, the brown glaze kinda merged together with the white glaze, and the contrast was just not there. Should have used a dark green or even blue glaze....hmmm...lesson 2 learnt!
Second class, we were taught how to make a traditional Japanese ceremony teapot! I was really excited and followed the instructions really closely, and this time I used the green and brown glaze at the bottom and lid of the teapot to achieve more contrast on top of the white glaze. It turned out pretty well, except that I now have difficulty deciding which is the handle and which is the spout because I forgot to close up the opening at the end of the handle! Wahahaha....so lesson 3 learnt.....
This is the sake bottle I made in class 3. We used the coiling methd, which can be a bit tricky if I was not careful because the bottle will start collapsing (which it did!) with the weight of the built up clay and I also made the mouth of the bottle a bit too big, which added on the weight! Although red clay turns into this light greyish colour after firing, it can still affect the colour that you will add on to your artwork. So I painted the whole bottle with white clay paint before mixing in the different colours to achieve the desirable colours, then dip the whole sake bottle into transparent glaze to finish it off. Due to the obvious and potential use of this sake bottle, this time I made sure my bottle had no cracks, not even the tiniest weeniest little hairline crack! :D
In the fourth class, we started making plates. This odd-looking plate came with a "heart-wrenching" story. My original plan was to make a leaf plate, so the edges were all shaped to curl up, resembling a, leaf. I spent a lot of time on it, and the sinseh helped me alot....but, in a classroom full of 14 other people trying to get their own artwork completed in that short 2 hour time-frame, accidents were bound to happen...I held up my plate really carefully (clay has to be dried for a few days up to a week after they were moulded, before the first firing process, and that was when they are at their most fragile and vulenerable), turned around, and smash! Someone walked right into my plate! The curly end came right off, while my gaze followed it's fall, watching, as it smashed into smitherns on the floor!!! OMG!! I can still feel the anguish and helplessness even as I am typing this! The lady who knocked into me was really appologetic, probably because she could see the disappointment in my face! Well, it can't be helped, it was just not meant to be a curly leaf plate! So I told her not to worry about it, picked up the pieces, threw them in the bin (that was hard! *SOB*), and thought of a way to improvise the damaged piece. So in the end, I decided to make it look green still, so maybe it looked like a piece of dead leaf instead? But alas, in my hurry, I dribbled some blue glaze on it thinking they would somehow merge with the green glaze after the firing....it did not...and the plate looked like a piece of salamander skin mounted on 3 round stumps! Hmmm....or maybe a blue-spotted stingray!? Hahaha.....eventhough Frank thought it looked freaky, it would be one of my treasures for keeps!
This was another more successful attempt at plate-making. I made the edges thicker so they won't break easily, still they tend to crack as they dry, so again spent a lot of time trying to smooth out the edges with more clay and water. The glaze used was a type of "runny" glaze, which really did "run" under extreme heat, and I also dabbed some dark blue glaze on the edges, hoping they will "run"down the edges together with the "runny"glaze. But I think they "ran" too much and instead ended up in the middle, forming this blue ring, which kind of made it looked like a crater, so I did not mind! :) Sinseh did advise us to use the "runny" glaze with discretion, because too much of it will make the glaze drip and the plate might get stuck in the kiln after firing, wise words of wisdom indeed....
.........because that was what happened exactly! The underside of my plate had all these little knobs and one end of the plate did get stuck to the kiln! But luckily, sinseh managed to salvage it! So the top looks like a beautiful blue crater but the bottom looks like some sort of pimply planet landscape! Hahaha....
I also made sake teacups, to match my sake bottle, eventhough the colours don't really match! I had little stubby legs made for them as well, and this time I tried this non-shine glaze and sprayed it with dark brown glaze to give it a natural look. But I think we've decided it works better as an egg-cup holder....
...and they worked really well! Here's me enjoying my soft-boiled egg in a sake cup with kaya on toast! Hahaha....
Oh yah, we all had to create our own distinctive stamp! I decided to use the last character of my Chinese name "qing", which means clean/pure. So if you ever see this stamp on the bottom of a plate or bowl or tea-cup....and if it looks weird and wonky, it's probably my creation! hahaha....
Frank's parents are on a 2 week visit from the Gold Coast. Taking advantage of the good (rare) weather, we decided to visit the Australian Garden at Cranbourne. We finally arrived, after making several wrong turns and detours, taking a good 2 hours! Still cranky and muscle-stiff from the long car ride, we were immediately cheered up by the rows and rows of colourful blooms! Never knew there are so many varieties of Australian native plants, and they are so adaptable to the dry Australian climate, an excellent choice for a water-saving garden!
Mum & Dad posing next to the fantastic Red Waratah blooms!
Watering cans display, a reminder on our precious water in this drought ridden land! Every drop counts!
I like these bright yellow ones!
Dad likes the blue ones!
Kangaroo paws!!! I've always liked them! Adding them to my "Garden Wish List"....
Beautiful "Ryan Stars", must get these once we renovate our backyard, the flower display are just spectacular!
Another shot with the stars....ok, ok, I like these flowers!!! Adding it to my "Garden Wish List" too...
Look at Mr. Bumble Bee! He had stuffed his pockets full of "Ryan Star" pollen! Hahaha....wonder if he can take off and land safely with these huge baggages!
Got to a kid's garden display, time to let the ladies steal a rest! I like all the squiggles on the chalkboard display but I think I still prefer pretty flowers and greenery!
Having fun at the kid's garden....I am excited!!!
Frank's even more excited!!! He is getting ready for his run down the slide! Hahaha....
No drinking (I was not intending to!), no washing or wading in the Rockpool Waterway...says the sign...
The classic self-shot, blocking out all the views behind us whatsoever!
It's hard to get everyone to look my way, they were too busy checking out the Xanthorrhoea....best known common name is "Blackboy". This name refers to the purported similarity in appearance of the trunked species to an Aboriginal boy holding an upright spear. Some people now consider this name to be offensive, or at least belonging to the past, preferring instead grasstree. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xanthorrhoea)
Frank performing his groovy dance moves again...Mum's obviously used to it....hee...
The female grasstree.
Frank trying to catch a shot of the male grasstree....can you spot any resemblance to an Aboriginal boy with a spear? Hmmm....
Each doing their own stuff....
Mother and son again....
A pretty, delicate yellow flower growing off the branch...
Where is Frankie-O-doodle hiding?
One way to look slimmer....I think I rather like this piece of artwork! Haha...
A weird but cute and curly pink flower, more like a type of grass flower...
Trotting along the path...soaking in the sun, admiring the pretty blooms....
Another busy bee! Too busy gathering his pollen to be bothered by the homosapien with her nosey camera!
Some sort of white iris, quite rare compared to the purple variety we see in the shops......Mum seems to be enjoying her little walk among them...
Near the tourist information center...and that's the end of our afternoon leisurely walk among the Ozzie wild flowers! Gave us lots of new ideas and options for creating a water-saving garden! Will be back for more spectacular flower displays next time!
