| A
flame out of focus is spherical and soft. It exudes a natural glow not unlike
that of a well made pot when put to the high fire. Nature and the white heat are
expressions not to be controlled, only guided. They sometimes speak loudly and
with harsh devastating statements yet beauty abounds.... After
all the making and glazing, the long firing answers every question even if it
is not what we wanted or so longed to hear. Decades
of work to get Iron Blue and Jade green mutton fat Celadons that turn olive and
deep gray when there is too much smoke and Copper Reds that all but burn away
only to blush every pot nearby when there is too little smoke. Tenmokus run and
drip, Shinos pit and crawl with no rhyme or reason yet the brilliance of a precious
stone appears just as nature. Exquisite are they, those gems that come from the
kiln. They come from a place without politics, prejudice,or question. That place
in the mind, heart,and spirit but never until the nature of the flames has had
its say. Metaphors
abound...brush strokes that remind us of grass blowing in the wind; textural dabbings,
of forests; quick scratches, clouds, mountains or seawaves; and, with a few well
placed strokes, appear a stag or flock of birds. All
of this is what makes a pot truly timeless. | |
