Taking the Next Step

Tonight I took the next step in my ceramics education, I enrolled in a beginning ceramics class at the Kalamazoo Institute of the Arts.  Honestly I am a little scared, for a multitude of reasons, most of which I will try and explain in this post.

I am not an artist ( at least not in the typical sense).  The last time I took an art course I was in middle school.  While I do not think I will suddenly be a great creator of ceramics, I hope I have at least have some skill  gained from appreciating the handy work of some incredible artists.  I heard it was said that with relatively little practice a major official in Japan was creating chawan  with skill shown by those that have practiced for much longer due to the fact that he had been such a lover o f tea and teaware for so long.  Honestly the closest I get to being an artist is when I masterfully weave together logical arguments to create a logically sound proof of a mathematical statement.

Besides understanding what I like from a few different glazes and in terms of clay's, I honestly have no clue how to create those effects in the kiln, or in the selection/ mixing process.  While I certainly hope some of these things will be covered in a Beginning ceramics course, I can definitely say I am very particular about my teaware, and I am worried that while it may be fun, it will be an exercise in futility in which I create a bunch of pieces I never want to use.


Most of all and I feel somewhat silly in saying this, but I am quite worried that I honestly will not enjoy it at all.  Living out in detail the hypocritical critic.  Where I write a blog about appreciating ceramics, and enjoying ceramics, critiquing artists work, but in the end not even being willing to ever put my own work on the line. I would feel like a journal editor reviewing submitted papers, in an area I have never worked in.  I could try and judge if it meets its end goals, but I would be completely unable to appreciate the beauty in the approach, or the ingenuity in getting the result.

Gyokko Yohen Kyusu

I had not expected this day to happen for quite some time, if ever.  But it happened when I went on a teaware buying binge fueled by a tax rebate, saw this little guy and said why not.  But yes I actually own a Kyusu smaller than some of my Yixing teapots.  This little guy in theory measures in at 140 ml but I would like to double check that ( keep on forgetting) because it honestly seems so small.

It is a great little Tokaname Kyusu made by the artist Gyokko, and fired such that it shows off its lovely Yohen effects.  The fire created such a wonderful appearance on this piece, with bands going from aging dusty chocolate, to almost black clay, to a nearly rusted piece of scrap metal, then the most interesting band is somehow so incredibly shiny it looks like it got painted with oil.




Although using this piece while definitely doable, feels precarious.   Its one of those things that I have large enough hands grabbing it from above, my fingers on all sides wrap around and touch the edge of the bottom of the kyusu.  So when using this I feel like a giant using a normal sized teapot.  In fact while with most kyusu's I like to have a decent part of palm touching the handle, it just does not work. When I pour with this kyusu it is thumb and middle finger on opposite sides of the handle, right where it is narrowest. and my index finger on the top of the button. This is the most comfortable with me, but the handle does not get within an inch of my palm.

But I am incredibly fond of this little guy.  In fact makes doing small sencha tasting incredibly easy, and in  a pinch could likely also be used for Gyokuro.

Seong-Il Chawan

I now have my very own piece of Korean Hagi, and I am loving it.  This cream white piece that is already starting to stain wonderfully.  It is also a classic rice bowl shape, very similar to the Ido style teabowls that are so renown.

My biggest pet peeve on this bowl, which granted I have not fully tested to see if it is actually more my new chasen rather than the bowl itself.  In all honesty all Chawans I have used previously have had a rather flat bottom, and this bowl shaped bottom is so rounded, I have been having an incredibly hard time whisky my matcha. Although I have only tried using my new 80 prong ( instead of 100 prong) chasen.

So more on this piece, feels great in hand, uses Buncheong Clay.  Amazingly enough this is one of the few glazed pieces I have seen that almost actively seems to pull water underneath the clay, and in fact just having water sitting in the bowl the cracks will darken.