Sake set

Sake cups and Sake bottles.

I was inspired by Sake bottles that were used at Ippiku in Berkely.

Ippuku is fine Japanese tapas in Berkely.

I love not only their food, but also admire their authentic tableware.

I've been throwing organic shape of bowls and cups lately.

I used to like very clean perfect shapes and colors, but I can be very creative making organic shapes. 

I scrape them with the knives, emphasize the stone texture by wiping with sponge, and make a dent... 

Stoneware and Shino seems perfect for organic shapes and colors.

A ceramist mentioned that the unflatted edge of bowls express landscapes of mountain in Japan.

Interesting...

Clay: Stoneware

Glaze: High fire

Cups - Shino brushed on Shino, Opalescent green, Shino brushed on Black

Bottle - Tenmoku brushed on Shino, Iron red

Raku

Finally, I had a chance to do Raku!

I've been throwing a lot of bowls and mugs. 

I haven't made vases lately, because vases usually go straight to my closet...

It's fun to throw taller pieces, well, it's challenging as well. 

One of the excitements of Raku is that you can see the result immediately!

You don't have to wait 2days before coming out from a kiln.

Leave in the outside Raku kiln for about couple hours.

You have to be really careful to pull the pieces from the kiln.

(It's extremely hot. Be cautious!)

While the piece is still hot, I melted horse hair on it. 

It smells pretty bad...

I like this interesting effect of hair carbon on the piece.

I will use my hair next time instead of horse hair.

Clay: B-mix

Petite Donabe

It's called "Donabe" in Japanese.

Casserole sounds little too snobby for the thing.

It supposed to be able to cook on stove.

I was told not to do that, so it is just another Japanese style serving bowl. 

I dropped the lid, right before I was putting it on the shelf, so it could be fired...

I like the band style nob, and the spotted glazed color.

Clay: Long beach mix

Beer mugs

These are one year old very beginners beer mugs. (Made by me)

My favorite soda firing! I love bumpy texture, and greyish and orangish color. 

It might be a bit big for a Japanese beer drinker ; )

I've been using it in my office for tea and coffee for few days.

My co-worker had started staring at and touching my mug.

Me "Do you want it?"

Co-worker "Yes!!"

Me "Ok, I'll wash it and bring it back tomorrow"

Co-worker "Do you happen to have two?"

Me "Yes, actually I do. I'll bring them tomorrow then"

(It sound little demanding, and actually it is. but I love that about my co-worker!!)

So... they are my gift for my co-worker.

It makes me so happy, when I can give my pieces as a gift : D

Candy sake-cups

I've been liking Japanese "wabi sabi" types of ceramic lately.
I love "wabi sabi" colors and texture. ( Of course, I never liked it when I was a kid)
 I'm so lucky that I am Japanese :D


But, once in a while, I want to make something pretty and fun.


I came up an idea of making sake-cups!
These are very small, so I can make very quickly and numbers of pieces in a short time.
(They are about 5cm in diameter)

I wanted to glaze with very vivid color, but almost all of the glazes would have "Wabi sabi" finish.

hmm...

However, since I used porcelain, the pieces came out beautiful colors.
*Porcelain is very white material


Shino glaze looks pretty good on it. It's always have some interesting result thats I can never guess until it comes out from a kiln.

 Clay: Porcelain
Glaze: Celadon, Shino, 

Vases with holes

These are my "Experimental vases" 


I wanted to create something different, and cure. 
They can be used for air plants or tea light candles... Well, let's see.


I'd never curved my pieces, but I found a lot of interesting curved work on web sites. 
They are so inspiring. So, let's try!

They are still greenware. (Meaning not been fired yet)

I bought incredible tools called Chinese hole puncher at a ceramic store.

3 for $5.50!!

Clay: B-mix

Diamond drop

Absolutely love soda firing!

Color and texture are beautiful.
 I love the shape about the pieces the most, and color is awesome.

I bumped my piece on a shelf, when the clay was still soft...
Well, I decided to call it "art", and it seems working that way.

I was pretty happy about the result until I saw this Diamond drop in my bowl...

Clay: Long beach mix
Glaze: Humboldt honey, opalescent green