I've been away from the blog for awhile.  Here are some of the things that I have been working on lately. Raku has been the latest thing that has come my way.  Yes the Raku kiln is wood fired. These are made with a technique that the Japanese call kurinuki.  Kurinuki is starting with a solid piece of clay and carving out the inside to make a pot.  Hope you enjoy the latest.

Make Good Pots

~Craig

Taking a breath

With just two firing a year (this year just one) there is always a period where I take a deep breath and look at what came out of the kiln. A time, where the latest pots will show me a road to go down. I examine them again and again, reading their stories.  The interaction between and fire and the clay. The surface that results from the flame dropping ash and heat as it travels over the pots, leaving it's mark of nature, has always fascinated me.
Here are a few more to look at.


Make Good Pots ~Craig

Fall Anagama Firing

I try to fire the New London Anagama twice a year. This year because of a trip to Korea and Japan the kiln only got fired once. We fired in September this year, the firing had it's share of problems. I try not to make the same mistakes twice... these problems were all in the new mistake category. Nice to know that there is always something new to learn.  Any way here are a few photo's of some of the pots that came out of the fall 2012 firing.

I recently went to Korea for a tea bowl festival. Here is a picture of Mr. Bong firing his kiln.
Make good pots.
~Craig

Sitting at a wheel in Korea

 

Somewhere in the heart of Korea. Potters are quietly making great pots.

Onngi Brew Pot

I've been working with a Korean Chef to make some Onngi pots to brew Makkoli, a rice wine in.
Fun to make some big ones again.
~Cheers,
Make Good Pots
~Craig

Yunomi from the fall firing

Here are some yumomi from the fall firing. They all have the same carbon trap glaze on them. The glaze really likes the flame and records it well. The pots tell nice tales of the fire and ash.
Make good pots,
~Craig

Slow Pots

 January go's on in it's peculiar pace that is uniquely January. Nothing happens in Minnesota this time of year and that happens very slowly.
Slow pots are fitting, no hundred mug series, just a teapot or two.  This one was made on the Lunar New Year.. so why not call it the "Water Dragon Teapot".  A simple Celadon, or Tenmoku, will do for the glaze.
Wood firing is not called by any name that resembles January. Slow pots are for now as we wait for the return of spring, when the potters return to their kiln.
Cheers,

Make Good Pots,
~Craig

Tea!

It's not wood fired, it's a cone 10 Celadon.  Somehow it seems right to think about warm tea, in a cold January.
Cheers,
Make Good Pots,
~Craig 

New Teapot

Winter finally arrived with some snow and colder temps. Somehow that got me working on a new teapot design.
Make Good Pots.
~Craig