Peter Callas Workshop

Peter Callas

Workshop

at 

Clayworks

Charlotte, NC

Sunday, April 6, 2014

I'm trying to decide if I can go or not. Click the link to find out more information at Clayworks. Coming up more home projects, more finds, more pots, and a huge clay tool, so stay tuned. I think Spring fever may have hit. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Akira Satake Workshop Day 2

Akira Satake began day two of our workshop with a demonstration trimming the foot on the tea bowl and chawan.

 Note the unusual tool used to trim.

Akira said using this tool and trimming spontaneously adds to the wabi sabi of his work.

Here's the finished teabowl. Half of my photos aren't turning out; I think my camera computer is wearing out; but the one above of Akira pleased me.

Next Akira demonstrated how he makes the lid, handle, and spout for the upside down teapot from the day before. See what I mean about some of the photos, they turn out blurry or extremely dark even though I'm not moving the camera and they are all on the same setting. Maybe I can get the camera cleaned? What do you think?

Ah, here is a better one while Akira is placing the spout on the teapot.

Next Akira demonstrated how he makes his one piece teapot.

Here's a photo of the pieces I made in the workshop, two tumblers, a footed tea bowl, a rustic lidded box (but solid too dry to hollow out, and not shown a rustic tray. John of JBF Times is going to fire my pieces in the gas kiln for me, leaving the exterior natural and using shino glaze on the interiors. Don't fire that box for at least six  months John. Ha.

Here's a shot of the workshop participants. I had a super time at the workshop visiting with several of my blogging friends, thanks to Akira Satake and Clayworks for a wonderful weekend.

While in Charlotte, I stayed at 803 Elizabeth Lane Bed and Breakfast. The Bed and Breakfast is in Matthews about seven miles from Clayworks. Martha and Will Krauss, the inn hosts, graciously accommodated my gluten free diet with delicious breakfasts. Check out their recipe page for breakfast quinoa. During my stay we shared conversations on travel, art, pottery, cooking, and gardening.

The mug in the top photo, with a shino liner, came home with me. This post is part of Sunday Ceramics. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Akira Satake Workshop

I finally ventured out of the RV from the cold; it got up to 26 today and was 6 last night. The end of the week will be much warmer thank goodness. Even though I'll be in the middle of closing/moving into my new home, I signed up to participate in an Akira Satake workshop in January. Since I've long admired Satake's work, the workshop really appeals to me. Here's info about the workshop scheduled for January 18 and 19 from 10 to 4 pm in Charlotte, NC at Clayworks. Information below is excerpted directly from Clayworks website.

Akira Satake is leading a two-day hands-on workshop that will focus on slab construction techniques and Kohiki slip decorating for creating functional pottery forms. Participants will learn to work with both soft and hard slabs, exploring a variety of processes and techniques to create teapots, tea cups, pitchers, vases, boxes and other functional pottery. Participants will learn techniques to create rich surfaces evoking the signs left by the forces of nature on the world we experience.

About Akira

“For me, the act of creation is a collaboration between myself, the clay and the fire. Collaboration means finding what the clay wants to be and bringing out its beauty in the way that the beauty of our surroundings is created through natural forces. Undulations in sand that has been moved by the wind, rock formations caused by landslides, the crackle and patina in the wall of an old house, all these owe their special beauty to the random hand of Nature. The fire is the ultimate random part of the collaborative equation. I hope the fire will be my ally, but I know it will always transform the clay in ways I cannot anticipate.”  Akira Satake

Akira Satake was born in Osaka, Japan and has been living in the U.S. since 1983. In 2003 he relocated from Brooklyn, New York to Swannanoa, North Carolina, where he has a wood-fired kiln and a gas kiln. In 2013 he opened Akira Satake Ceramics/Gallery Mugen as his working studio and exhibition space in the River Arts District in Asheville, NC. Akira is also an internationally acclaimed musician whose CD “Cooler Heads Prevail” was awarded the prestigious German Music Critics Award for Best World Music Recording. He will close the workshop with a brief mini-concert performed on shamisen and banjo.

I'm looking forward to attending this workshop and get my hands back on clay. The brief mini-concert is a bonus to me. Funny how things turn out sometimes. If you know of a bed and breakfast to recommend located within an hour or less drive of Charlotte, NC, please let me know. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Stuck In A Revolving Door

This past weekend a near disaster was narrowly averted. I've discovered I have more clay related supplies than I care to think about, especially since I'm now packing them all. I also have more than I want to admit because Gary has been finding them all, saying, "What is all this stuff?" Thank goodness Gary asked me ahead of time, "Can I throw these out?"


Gary was referring to the cabinet above which is full of my cone 10 glazes already mixed (wet) and the smaller white containers with my cone 10 premixed dry glazes, extra containers, disposable gloves, masks, etc. I'm not sure how to pack these, but they are perfectly usable, not to mention the air tight containers are valuable too. I don't want the wet glazes to freeze while we are traveling. Maybe I can put a down sleeping bag over the wet glaze containers. What do you think? Any ideas?


I also have to pack my finished ceramics, test tiles, cones, some commercial glazes, a cabinet full of supplies, and a huge plastic tub full of supplies out in the studio. Oh and then there are all the shelves and a few boxes in the storage shed. (Hope Gary doesn't read this post). I almost need a small trailer just for my ceramics supplies. Then there's the kiln and slab roller. I'm starting to get worried there won't be enough room for it all. I've been saving all the ceramics items to pack last so if I have to put them in a separate trailer they'll all be together and easily accessible. After all I know what my priorities are - clay first - food, clothing, and shelter second. Just kidding, I think.


The last two months I didn't have much time for clay with all the sprucing up, watering and gardening duties. We had 40 days of over 100F (37.7 C) so it was never ending. The last three weeks we had a septic, well, termite, roof, fireplace, and the buyer's home inspector. Each inspection meant something we had to do beforehand or after to get a perfectly clean slate. We can really tell it's a buyer's market these days, believe you me. We've also had three yard sales with another one scheduled this weekend, and numerous folks coming from Craig's list and bulletin board ads. I feel like I've been stuck in a revolving door and I haven't been able to get out. I think when I do get out I'll be a little dizzy for a while.


I'm already feeling pangs of withdrawal packing all the clay supplies, not knowing when I will be able to use them again. In the back of my mind I'm thinking of renting some studio space somewhere like Clayworks for the Spring if they have such a thing and there is room. That way I can keep my hands in clay, unless we find our dream place right away, that is. Time will tell I guess.

Wait a minute! I should be able to fit my tackle box of clay tools and one bag of clay in the motorhome. Right? Right! I told you I knew my priorities. One good thing about being stuck in a revolving door is, it's ever so exciting when it flings you out because you never know where you will land. Up next is a small detour about my first love, a story Amy, a fellow potter and blogger friend, asked me to post. Be sure to come back again to learn why.