How was your May - it seems a blur for us as we had a very busy April and May. Our month started with final preparations for the Ceramic Showcase. What an awesome event showcasing 230 potters from our area at the largest indoor pottery show and sale. I was busy serving on two committees: the Special Events committee that hosted visiting Japanese Potters and the Physical Gallery Setup committee responsible for transporting, painting and setting up gallery pedestals for the 'best' pots in our show. Sandy and I featured our signature Nativity Scene and one of our favorite fish vases. We also had a piece in the 'Interiors' area that featured Asian style pieces to compliment the Japanese theme throughout.
After showcase we had some professional photos made of our featured pieces. The Nativity Scenes turned out so well we decided to take them to the Grotto for sale and we were fortunate to receive an order for several large and small Nativity Scenes. If you have never seen the Grotto it is one of Portland's Beautiful and Historic Gems. I hope you get a chance to visit and when you are there check out the gift shop for our Nativity Scenes.
Our jobs have kept us busier than normal but we are looking forward to some travel at the end of the month to help our God Daughter celebrate her wedding. We also got to help a collegue celebrate his wedding in beautiful St. Geneveive, MO earlier in the month.
In between being busy we have found time to make a few pots in the studio. I am cranking out some functional ware including cups, plates and bowls. These are long time favorites and sell well at the summer shows.
Until next time, take care of yourself!
As a board member of the Oregon Potters Association I have had the opportunity to participate on some special projects. One has been helping a committee that is hosting some Japanese Potters from Hokkaido. Below is an excerpt from the Portland, Oregon Japanese Garden website that talks about these visitors and thier art and their exhibit at the Garden. These Japanese Potters will also be at the OPA annual Showcase event to be held April 25-27. This will be my first show with OPA and I will have a piece in the Gallery and the Ikebana display area. Hope to see you there.
Ceramic Art from Hokkaido
Exhibition: April 11–20, 2008
Regular Garden Hours
Garden Pavilion
Free with Garden Admission
Kazunao Azuma
The fascinating history of ceramics in Japan spans more than 10,000 years. Arguably, there is no culture on earth with a greater appreciation for the potter's art than that of Japan—from the coil-built, earthenware Jomon pots and the hollow-eyed, cylindrical Haniwa tomb figures to the rustic beauty of ash-glazed Shigaraki and Bizen tea wares and the elaborately decorated porcelains of Arita and Kutani.
With a wealth of good quality clay available throughout the Japanese archipelago, numerous regions around the country became known for the production of a remarkably diverse array of ceramic styles and techniques. Early kiln sites such as Bizen, Shigaraki, Iga, Tokoname, Echizen, and Tamba have flourished for centuries on the island of Honshu, as have the porcelain centers of Arita, Nabeshima, and Imari on the southern island of Kyushu.
The Portland Japanese Garden welcomes the work of 24 ceramic artists from the Hokkaido Pottery Society for this special 40th-anniversary exhibition in conjunction with the Oregon Potters Association's 2008 Ceramics Showcase. The Hokkaido Pottery Society was established in Portland's sister city of Sapporo in 1968 (not long after the Portland Japanese Garden first opened its own gates) to foster the exchange of technical information and friendship among the potters working in Hokkaido.
The ceramic arts of Hokkaido reflect the vitality and youth of this northernmost island of Japan. Relatively new to the world of Japanese ceramics, Hokkaido has long been admired for its pristine lakes, virgin forests and unspoiled scenic beauty. It was not until the late 19th century that settlers from all over Japan began moving to Hokkaido, bringing with them a wealth of new trades, including the production of fine ceramics from many of the different kilns around the country.
Much like the artists of the American West, Hokkaido potters enjoy the freedom to break new ground in their work, building upon the great traditions of the past while exploring new ideas and directions with creativity clearly visible in the works on display in this exhibition.
Some say you don't need an artist's statement because your art work should speak for itself. However, putting together a statement about your art gives a reader an idea of what inspires the art and what you hope to communicate with your art (if anything). As a three dimensional medium, one of the most enjoyable aspects of pottery is the touch and feel and hopefully the artist statement can convey that as well.
Our statement is below.
Our journey with clay is inspired by the basic elements of water, earth and fire. We attempt to capture the essence of these elements in form, color and function. Our forms include vessels to hold flowers, plants, candle light, food and a simple Nativity. The smooth textures and earthy browns, blues and green colors in our work represent the abundance of clay, water and plant life in the beautiful Oregon environment that we live and work in. We are also inspired by the spawning fish in the NW and look for ways to alter our basic shapes to allow them to jump out of the surface our designs. Remember that thou hast made me of clay; and wilt thou turn me to dust again? (Job 10:9)
I was talking with a potter friend the other day. Her and her husband have been full time potters for many years. They produce a beautiful line of very elegant functional pottery. It is such a pleasure for me to talk with folks like this and it's amazing to me how generous they have been to Sandy and I in the early years of our pottery business. One subject we spoke about was doing custom orders. They have grown their business so large that they no longer do very many custom orders. She stated to me 'we just don't have time anymore to be someones personal potter'. It occurred to me that that's exactly the niche that Sandy and I occupy. Because we are part time potters this has become a source of satisfaction for us. So if you ever need something custom, a specific color, shape, size or that special gift please let us know and we'd love to make it for you. Some examples of what we have made are custom goblets for a friends engagement party, a set of 7 large planters for a large window ledge, and a very intersting set of sugar pourers. There is nothing more enjoyable to see the look on a satisfied customers face when they recieve their order. And I think they truly understand what it means to have something made from scratch by our hands. Every step of our production is hand made, from pulling the wet clay out of the bag, shaping the piece on the wheel or completely in our hands, hand signing each piece, glazing it with our home made glazes and finally hand delivering or mailing it to you. It may take a little longer but thats what we do at From Dust to Clay. We're your personal potter!
All the best, Bill and Sandy 
Here's thinking of you during the Christmas Season and wishing you a great 2008!
For me this is always a great time of year. I enjoy reminiscing about the bright faces I see over the holidays and savoring the plans that we are creating for next year.
And for our From Dust to Clay pottery business our Nativity Scenes make it a very special time of year. Pictured here is one of our latest Nativity Scene designs but please check out 'Recent Events' on our website for more styles and designs.
The Nativity Scenes we made this year are signed by both Sandy and I as they were truly a joint effort. The inspiration for them came early in our Marriage when Sandy made the original set of figurines. I later designed various styles of houses and added a special element that makes them truly special (please contact us if you want to order one and learn more about this special addition - if you are still curious note the mystifying aura on the wall in the picture above).
Besides the obvious link between Christmas and the birth of Christ one of the strong connections that most people have with Nativity Scences is with the young family. There is nothing sweeter than seeing young kids slow down amidst the excitement of seeing all their presents under the tree to reflect on the first Christmas in the manger.
That is the most special part of Christmas for me...slowing down to enjoy family and friends.
