From Flat Mesh to 3D - Part 2

This steel mesh form has been dipped 5 times with paper clay slip. The paper clay I am using is the Gault 10 Pclay from Aardvark. It's my standard paper clay for my sculptural works.

The first time the piece is dipped in the paper clay slip only a very light coating stays on the wire. With successive dippings, the layers build up and it depends on how thick you want the final form to be.

Right now, it is still in the formative stage. It will require many more dippings and dryings in between to build up to the final stage.

Summer time (or a very mild winter like what we are experiencing here in So. California right now) is always a great time to do this kind of project as the paper clay slip dries quite fast. On an average day, I can manage 2-3 dippings.

From little pinch pots grow wonderful creations!

This sculptural vase set started from 3 very humble pinch pots that I demonstrated for my paperclay class at the Irvine Fine Arts Center.

After the 3 individual pinch forms were bone dry, they were joined using dry to dry techniques. Additional textural elements at the base of the forms were also added, using the same technique.

Outside glaze is Tenmoku. The Tenmoku glaze breaks to a very nice brown color where the glaze is thinner. I opted for this glaze instead of Coleman's Gloss Black to give an aspect of texture and dimensionality to the composite form. Inside was glazed wax white. These glazes are part of the standard set of glazes available at the Irvine Fine Arts Center.

The paperclay is Aardvark IMCO Ivory sculpture paperclay. High Fire Cone 10 reduction.

Size: 11"H x 9"W x 11"D

Ikebana, Ceramics & Swordsmanship

I recently completed a short 5 session class in the Sogetsu style of Ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement) at the Irvine Fine Arts Center conducted by Takeichi Haruko Sensei. This picture was taken in class (2nd week) after we completed the arrangement, but before the Sensei came around (with her clippers in hand!).

I enjoyed the class tremendously. The 5 weeks went by so quickly. The ceramic vase I made fitted the style of the arrangement so I used it. It's a high fire Kazegama style firing (ash firing), invented by Steve Davis of Aardvark. The vase is about 12" high, made out of paperclay, flashing slip was applied to the surface of the piece in the greenware stage. The texture you see is actually left over dried paperclay that is "glued" to the vase with paperclay slip. The texture and colors came out beautifully in this piece.

One thing that struck me were the quotes Takeichi Sensei shared with us. Even though it came from the Ikebana perspective, with my training in Japanese swordsmanship I now better understand  what my sword Sensei (Katsuse Sensei) was trying to tell me. My two favorite quotes from Takeichi Sensei:

1. When a man cuts the pine tree, it is no longer a pine tree. It has become the man.

2. Even if you are a beginner in Ikebana, and you have a small vase, make your arrangement big. Do not let the size of the vase limit you.

Hearing those words for the first time I smiled inside and I thank Katsuse Sensei, "Now, I'm beginning to understand a little bit."

It is incredible the feeling you get when you view these flowers and arrangement in your home. The spirit from these humble flowers that so many of us take for granted fills one's heart and definitely fills the room.