The Last 2 amazing days!!

The past 2 days have been field trip days.  I have taken 199 pictures during those 2 days so rest assured in that category.  Basically I went Back to Tian Bao, Back to Gaolin Mountian, and to a huge factory with the whole group that came with NCECA.  The most beneficial thing for me during those trips were making connections with people from all over the US and China.  I also went to a lecture last night at the pottery workshop where there were people from all over the world.  It was really amazing seeing the whole group in one room.  You could sit, watch, and hear a number of different locations from around the world being represented by language and dialect.  I heard French, German, English, Chinese, Indian, Australian, and probably something more all coming from the same room.  It was a real pleasure to meet some of these world representatives in China as well as just listen to them speak.  

I also met a few people from NC here yesterday on the all day trip to Mt. Gaolin.  It reminded me once again that I come from one of the most pottery rich states in the USA.  I am sure everyone here can tell that I am dang proud of it too!!!  It was really nice to be able to talk to some people from the same pottery heritage (and pride) as me.  It was also very nice to be able to hear someone with the same dialect (twang as I call it) as I have.  I am particularly thinking of Karen in this case.  I do have to admit that my favorite person that I talked to all day was Dwight Holland.  I was really able to talk to him about the pottery heritage, and people of NC yesterday.  It got me so excited to talk about something I am so familiar with.  He also told me many things I did not know about some of the potters and potter history that I am extremely interested in.  He gave me a list of potters to look at, and talked of his sweet pottery collection back home.  I truthfully cannot wait to go back and visit him in Seagrove.  When our conversation started he asked me who my favorite potter in Seagrove was.  I was quick with my honest answer of Daniel Johnston.  I could not have said anything better because he agrees with me wholeheartedly.  A large portion of our conversation revolved around Daniel and his career as an artist.  I think I relate to him because of our travels, and cultural influences that go from eastern countries back to England and America.  I am also one that tries to be completely traditional and natural with the pottery I make just like Johnston.  He is certainly one of my pottery heroes.  He has a great online exhibition here.  To look at the pictures scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the link to the exhibition.   

Well folks I am sorry that was brief, but I will put some pics up later in the day because I have to eat breakfast at 8.    I will tell more about the last few days within the pictures.

The master thrower is usually given some shapes to throw before hand, but we do not give him that so he is free to explore whatever shape he likes in the demo.  Here are some he came up with after looking at some pots in the studio.  I was pretty inspired by this shape.  It is also a good feeling to see so many pots wet and sitting everywhere.

Tian bao demonstration works from only 2 days!!

Jackson Li in the flesh.  well.... the dark too, but his flesh is still there.

At his presentation.  Tao means pottery and Yao means kiln.  Just to answer the question in advance: no Yao ming's first name is not kiln.  In the chinese language there are 4 general tones and I am sure his name has a different one than the one used for kiln.  

Tian Bao potter education.

This man loves to teach!!  I got the message across that I wanted some hands on action and he immediately went and found the nearest bucket to practice with.  This is me in the learning process.

Studying hard.

Boss demo action!!

Me with a hand position reference.

Me and the master himself along with some of his demonstration wares.  

Here is a funny story from today.  Someone asked the demonstrator how he made his pots so round.  Keep in mind this is all having to be translated.  So we wait for the translator to talk to him.  Then the translator looks at us and says "he says he walks in a circle".  ha!  I thought that was pretty good.
I was particularly inspired by the tian bao pottery today.  I worked with the man doing the demo's for a good little bit today and I also saw an amazing video documentary by Jackson Li.  I bought the documentary and plan on paying a tian bao a good hearty visit some time in the near future.  

  

This was pretty darn cool.  Traditional Chinese pottery at its finest making a large planter.

Another Tian Bao potter tool.  Pretty much a river stone.

Beth Update.

This was where Peter Beaseker, and Beth did their slide talks.  Pretty old beat up building.  It worked well for the shows though.

This was the screen which was canvas stretched along some scaffolding.

This was at a coffee shop run by the chinese.  Needless t say they really dont do coffee in this part of the world.  They are tea centered, but this particular area has a bit more American visitors than most so they have a toilet (not a squat toilet, or hole).  I suppose they dont want you to poop in there so they tried to be as brief and sophisticated as possible.  To me it was just hilarious.  

The lineup from one of the discussions on ceramic education.  This included Linda Arbuckle, and Val Cushing.

Tian Bao potter.

As he worked.

Finishing up a rim.

One of his mallet tools.

Slide lecture I went to Monday evening.  Overall slow with the translator.  

This was the student opening which also happened Monday night.

As Beth continued into the night.

Some master thrower demo work.

Studio in madness mode.

Beth Stickter continued.

Two demos in one shot.

Amazing thrower.

At the opening of one of the shared journeys galleries.  American and Chinese art was on display.  It was a really nice exhibition.  

Well today was so packed with lectures that it was just nuts.  I will admit most was boring, but alot of good came from them.  I have loads more pictures to put up, but I will wait until morning because I am so tired I can barely keep my eyes open to type.  Keep it real.

Beth Stickters Demo.

Brush maker demo.

Throwing demonstrator from far north of where we are.  His style was much more similar to mine than the other guy.  He is a great turner.  One of the best in my opinion.

Carving demo.

Many chinese broadcasting companies were there interviewing people and stuff.  

This is beth Stickter's machete which is for a much larger sculpture made in about a 30 hour period for a demo.  it was seriously one of the coolest things in the area.  So awesome to watch!

Demo pics

This is the demonstrator from tian bao.  He makes traditional MASSIVE coil pots and planters as well as roof tiles fired in a dragon kiln.  Right up my alley as some of you may quess. 

Yixing teapot demonstrator.  The chinese people worshipped the two yixing demos. 

I helped the brush maker set up.  Here are some tools.  I am excited to go home and make some of my own brushes from the tips I picked up.  To me it looked alot like tying flies to fish with, and I enjoy doing that very much.  Hopefully that will apply.

Pictures of some sweet brushes.

Super Packed day, but only the beginning.

Yesterday was one of the most packed days ever, and I imagine today will be much the same.  I was so inspired by seeing so much yesterday that the ideas were coming out like crazy!  I needed to get in the sketchbook for some spillage.  I am very happy with what came out and cant wait to get back to work, but I must realize that will be next week so I gotta keep the mind open and cleaned out.  Maybe some Q-tips would help.  I have so many pictures, and possibly not enough time to download them all since breakfast in here shortly.  The internet was not cooperating last night so I decided to wait.  Here is the day in pictures.

A picture from the welcoming banquet.  

I dont know how this came about, but this bag sitting outside the kitchen in a planter has a live chicken in it.  If you poke it then it will cluck and flap around in there.  I guess that is how they ship it fresh around here.

read the poster

Clay for demonstrators.

The glaze turned a bit dark in my opinion.  Pretty much all of my plates warped or cracked except two or so.  I don't know if I mentioned how much I really am in love with the chinese porcelain that is here.

This was my favorite piece that came out.  I struggled to get a good picture, but the glaze is what makes it.  It just got pelted with ash.

Some pitchers that have really bad glaze messing up on the inside and rim.  I like that they match though.

Inside of a big bowl.

The glaze on these face jugs turned out horrific!!  This teapot was the one chosen to be in the show representing my work.

Studio from above.