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My last two sculptures were, I concluded, not worth showing here. Struggling to come up with a new piece that I felt happy with, I decided to re-produce the same pose that I had successfully captured the feeling before. I am still discouraged by my limitations, but improvement is noticeable when I compare the two pieces created 4 years apart. Discouragement is a part of human life. It tells me to be patient. To me, persistence is the only way to reach my goal. I will be persistent. Thank you for your ongoing support.
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These prairie dog jars were also fired with combustible materials last week. Although I experimented with the stains, I am happy with the results (except one that needs re-firing. Such mishaps are unavoidable in ceramics.) I will share below what raw chemicals I used for each piece. They were all fired to ∆2.  Yellow ochre, copper carbonate, and pine ash on the jar. Barnard and rutile on the prairie dogs.  A mixture of iron, manganese, and cobalt to produce black. Matte white low-fire glaze became bubbly, which I like. The mother and babies were stained with rutile. It was supposed to become orange, but it became gray.  The diluted iron-manganese-cobalt mixture, pine ash, and copper carbonate on the jar. Barnard and rutile on the prairie dogs. Aren’t you glad to finally have warm weather? That means I can have fun with kiln firings. My old kiln was loaded with these figurines along with sawdust, dry leaves, and charcoal briquettes last week. The magic of the smoke and oxygen-deprived environment on clay gave me a giant smile when I re-opened the kiln. These Guardians of the Heart are roughly 7" tall. Feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you want one of them to be a companion of your heart.  Listening  Hurt  Sweet Dreams  Let's Play Happy New Year! With this piece, I shall send the joy of living to your 2025. I am back working on my dementia series. The first sculpture is of my 89-year-old mother, a dementia sufferer, who now resides in an assisted living facility in Japan. Two months ago shortly after her husband’s passing, she did not want to step out of her room, worrying about others’ opinions of her conduct. “I’m lonely. There is no one to talk to,” she said to me. Some people lose the will to live when their spouses have gone. I was concerned my mother might fall in the same trap. “I don’t want to die yet. I still have a lot I want to do,” Mother said to me one day. She has found a new purpose. She is now in charge of a karaoke machine for a women’s group. They sing every day. After my father’s passing 21 years ago, I noticed Mother’s cheerful resilience, which fascinated my stepfather. Despite her cognitive decline, she has bounced back again, spreading the joy of living. It is her gift she continues to share with the world.  The model is my friend, who radiates a similarly delightful energy even though worsening blindness, poverty, and having no reliable family are heavy on her shoulders.  Prairie dog mothers are watching, so their pups will be safe in the burrows. These prairie dog jars are my would-be new product. I had fun trying to come up with the new designs. Now, it is time to experiment with stains and firing techniques. I am curious how they will turn out. With two large shows back to back and then an urgent trip to my home country Japan, I was extremely busy in 2024. I am hoping to give myself the time to experiment in the coming new year. May you also have the time to create something uniquely yours and memorable in 2025! Happy Holidays to all of you!   |
About This Blog
This page is an window for you to see my creative process. I would like to encourage you to leave your comments here. What kind of thoughts did my art provoke you? What viewpoint do you agree/disagree to? Your feedback will feed my art going forward. Thank you.
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