More New #Bonsai Pots....It's Been a While

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A few new #bonsai pots out of the kiln from last week.

My style is changing as I'm steering away from many of the glazes I'd once used.  A loud, punching me right in the face colour isn't a type of pot that I use myself, much preferring a quite calm colour or subtle texture instead.

That's just me......I know of quite a few people who love the pretty bright shiny glow of a small shohin or mame pot.

Texture is now the thing that really appeals to me at the moment.

Still lovin the good old ivory crackled pots though!

There is a newish line of bonsai pots in the pipeline....the colour is a beautiful smooth dark brown.  It enables me to do a bit of subtle carving around the rims without taking the balance of the pot away from the bonsai tree.

For any bonsai pot enquiries, just contact me on howimakebonsaipots@gmail.com 

A Few New Bonsai Pots....A Bit of This and a Bit of That

 NEW WEBSITE :   Fionna's Bonsai Pots

I'm using a new website for both Blog Posts and for Selling my Bonsai Pots.   Click the above blue link to be redirected. Thankyou.

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I haven't had time to make many bonsai pots lately.  But managed to get a glaze firing done this week.  Quite a variety of pots amongst it.  A few ovals, but most are taken already.  With any luck I'll get them listed on the blog in the next day or two :))

Kiwi Style Bonsai Pots

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_____________________________________I've just fired a new series of bonsai pots. Really loving the results.

Secretly, I quite like resting the leather hard pot on my lap and quietly carving/scribing a subtle pattern normally around the rim or mid body. I can quite happily draw these while sitting doodling on scrap paper while on the phone. Carving clay is another aspect of pottery to be explored more....don't want it to be too loud and in your face...just subtle suits me just fine.

The clay is a very quiet dark brown, has almost a sheen to it. The photos don't do them justice.... 

 

Dumb Down Pots

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_____________________________________This is something that many people do naturally, without even thinking about it.

Dumb down Pots came to mind when I was thinking about my bonsai pot glazes.   

There are times when it's necessary to "dumb down" in life, just to fit in, or not stick out from the crowd.   Just as your bonsai pot should not overtake or draw your eye away from the bonsai tree.

Think about where you work....there are people who are exceptionally brilliant at what they do.... but are quite happy blending in with their co workers to make their time enjoyable as no one likes a smart ass.  Much the same as a bonsai pot.....its there....doing its job....looking tidy, keeping the trees roots at bay. A calm subtle glaze colour that doesnt jump out and punch you in the eye at first glance is what you need.

There are some people that do stand out for other reasons....their personality, the way they talk, or their cheery attitude.  Bonsai pots too have that same thing going on.  Some have a strong steady masculine "dont mess with me" look about them.  Others have soft corners and curved lips which give you that soft feminine feel.

Then there are just the outrageous people who are right out there.  Yes we all know them.  In your face more times than bugs on a motorbike.  Always opinionated and happy to stand proud and be the centre of attention.  We see so many bonsai pots with this characteristic.  Really loud colours, shapes and designs that would make a yoyo dizzy, and always the first thing you see when you happen to glance their way.  "HERE I AM", I'm important, not that old looking tree I've got invading my headspace.

Just as high heeled shoes can make us look taller, feet on a bonsai pot can make it look lighter and not so heavy.  Flashy coloured shoes can glitz up an outfit, whereas anything but plain feet on a bonsai pot can draw your attention to them and not the tree/pot combination quite easily.

The "dumb down people" are the ones that have excelled academically and have incredible knowledge in their field.  They are quite content to do menial jobs where there isn't really alot of hard thinking involved and they certainly don't display or talk about their achievements.  In the bonsai world there are the "antique pots", "tokoname" and others made by famous potters.  The pots all do the same job as the cheap and nasty ones, but the craftmanship in these is incredible.  The hours and experience of the potter shows.  They sit quietly with the tree sharing the limelight and taking your tree/pot combination to another level.

Then there are the "go to" people.  Always reliable, always there to sort problems that arise.  In the bonsai tree world these would be the plain brown rectangular or oval pots.  It doesn't really matter what the tree looks like, they will always look at home in one of these go to reliable pots.

Yes, some people will get the boot (fired) for not fitting in or just annoying the crap out of others. Hence some people find it hard to match the right pot with the tree and are forever changing it because it doesn't look right in some way.  Bonsai enthusiasts can find it really annoying and quite often flick the offending pot into the shed,  in the faint hope of it being bought out to do another job with a different tree.   Much like people that jump from job to job....and never really finding one that they''re happy with.

Have a glance around at your workmates one day in the smoko room and try and figure out which person matches the style of a particular bonsai pot.......you'll be quite surprised with the similarities between some of them.

But for goodness sake, keep your thoughts to yourself, otherwise your workplace may not be your workplace for much longer !!    link: fired pots :))

Hmm....think I've been sitting in the sun too long....the mind is straying and thinking some weird things. 

Righto...back to making pots.

A Little Glaze Magic on the Bonsai Pots

NEW WEBSITE :   Fionna's Bonsai Pots

I'm using a new website for both Blog Posts and for Selling my Bonsai Pots.   Click the above blue link to be redirected. Thankyou.

_____________________________________Sometimes a little magic happens when the pots are quietly sitting in the kiln getting fired.
Once the fierce glowing heat has done its thing and all is calm and cool once again, the kiln opening to see what magic has been created is quite an event in itself.

I had no idea what would happen with this layered double dipped glaze.  Fortunately the combination was written down in hope that some magical glaze could be recreated!  Loving the almost crystal like light green combination on this pot.

You never quite know just how fine the "crackles" will appear on the pot sometimes.  You have a fair idea, but the very finest fissures are the most stunning.

The difference between a single/double layer of glaze is certainly obvious.

A Bit of Kiln Housekeeping

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_____________________________________I get that same feeling when it comes to housework inside.  Not something that's to be enjoyed.....but it has to be done.  No matter how long you put it off, it magically doesn't disappear.

That's how I feel when it comes to grinding off glaze dribbles and flaky kiln wash from the kiln shelves.

If you leave glaze dribbles on the shelves, your pots can get "hung up" on them and they're unable to expand and contract freely during the firings.   I suspect it may be the culprit during the last couple or 3 firings where there have been cracks appearing on pots in the same area on the offending dirty shelves. 

Hubby thankfully got the grinder out and cleaned most of the remaining flat shelves outside....that's the worst job, quite dusty work.

There were 4 shelves that had a significant bow, so they will have to be replaced.  Two of them were thinner and weren't up to the high firing temperatures that I get up to.  The replacements will have to be a bit thicker.

I use bought kiln wash.  In the past I've mucked around with homemade recipes but have had issues with it flaking off after only one or two firings, so just not worth the effort.

The kiln shelf wash is thin once you mix it with water.  You have to use at least 2 or 3 coats with it drying in between.

Why do you need to coat the shelves with kiln wash?  It helps the pieces being fired to move on it as they expand and contract during the firing.  They would tend to get "stuck" and crack or tear apart without it.  A bit like having a fine layer of ball bearings for the pieces to slide around on.

The jobs all done, and they're about to get dried out properly in the kiln before the next firing....which will be very shortly.

Waitangi Day Shohin/Bonsai Workshop with Sandra Quintal

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_____________________________________Sandra Quintal is a bit of an expert when it comes to Shohin bonsai.

When the opportunity arose to go to one of her workshops in Dunedin on the 6th of February it didn't take much persuading.  Even though I don't have any shohin it was great to learn about them.

Sandra also has great knowledge about bonsai in general so I didn't worry too much when I rocked up with a largish Hwangshan Pine.  (almost everyone else had a shohin or two to work on)

There was a Coprosma that needed a bit of a trim up, but it wasn't the right time to do it, so a small tag was put on the offending branch to be removed later.

That is something that's incredibly hard to do.  So often there's a branch that looks like it needs nipped back, but nowadays everyone says to leave it on to strengthen the branch and cut it back late winter/early spring.  Sorry, but most of the time the branch will get cut back when I get fed up looking at it!  I can only guess that he wished he could cut it off now.

One thing that I felt a little self conscious about was my tools.

Looking around everyone had their nice shiny sharp tools all laid out in their nice leather rolls.   Well.... I have 3 tools.  Two of them have been left out in the rain and weather and are now a brown earthy rusty colour.  I still use them as they are all I have.  Unfortunately hubby has stolen back my third tool, a pair of his pliars….they were great for cutting bonsai wire, but I guess they were needed elsewhere.

The only downside of working on your own trees while Sandra is away helping others is that you miss out on tidbits of information as you're sometimes not within reasonable hearing range.  Only one thing for it....drop your tools and casually meander on over and listen in.

Sometimes I wonder if its more worthwhile being an "observer".  At least you get to hear the advice given to each participant about their bonsai.  Sometimes we are so focussed on working on our tree that our brain shuts off from everything around us.....well, it does for me any way.

There were a couple of nice Shohin pines, "Mugo" and "Radiata".

Personally I learned quite a lot during the workshop.  It was all frantically written down as soon as I got back.  Followed by another frantic morning working on my trees at home.  Funny how when you learn something new, you run around applying it to those trees that will benefit.

It was a 5 hour round trip to attend this one day workshop in Dunedin.....absolutely well worth it!

A Few New Bonsai Pots Just out of the Kiln

NEW WEBSITE :   Fionna's Bonsai Pots

I'm using a new website for both Blog Posts and for Selling my Bonsai Pots.   Click the above blue link to be redirected. Thankyou.

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Some of my pots are sold as soon as they make it out of the kiln, so it's been a while since there's been some added to the blog.
For those of you who have subscribed and added me to their mailing list, I've given you first dibs on the 20 pots from the latest kiln opening this morning.  Here's a few of them.

There are quite a few new "crackle" pots ivory/white colour.  Haven't made these in a while, great to get back into the swing of it again.

I normally have a favourite in each kiln load....this one is it.  It looks even better than the pic as it has a quite old antique look about it. Took a while to carve the pattern - hence the price.

There was only one oval in amongst this lot. It's approx 35cm long x 25.5 x 6.5cm high.  A really nice looking pot, the top edge has gone a navy blue colour while the rest of the pot is a dark green gloss.

There's nothing better than to have a few accent pots to fill all the nooks and crannys in the kiln.

All 20 are on the blog/website now, so if you're interested just email and let me know.

For New Zealanders I can send 3 or 4 medium size pots in the same parcel by Courier for $15 (non rural).   

Playing Around with some RIVOTS (Drum Bonsai Pots)

NEW WEBSITE :   Fionna's Bonsai Pots

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_____________________________________Approx 620 rivots were individually placed on some "drum" bonsai pots today and this evening.

While it kept me rivoted and enthusiastic for an hour or two, after 3 hours it got just a bit monotonous. 

Normally I wouldn't make more than 2 or 3 of the same pot, I decided this time to make 8 all at once.

This one had a total of 126 rivots.   Yes, I got bored enough to sit and count them.  I think perhaps another layer could have been added to the vee shape, as it's a little out of proportion to the extra height of the pot. (maybe tomorrow)

My pottery area got itself in a bit of a state, nothing was put away after throwing them.  Tools of all shapes and sizes everywhere, as I find the best method of finding a particular tool is to chuck them all out on the table and fossick through.  I don't know how some people keep their studios etc immaculate, my clay slip just seems to splat everywhere....door, walls, surrounding shelves and me!  Everything seems to get wiped on my trouser leg, even though there's always a rag handy.

I manage to keep the shelves reasonably tidy though.  These pots have been bisqued and will be glaze fired in the next few days.

Still more ovals drying.  The cooler weather certainly slows the drying down, although I still cover them with plastic and newspaper to slow the drying down even more.

Eeek, kind of overdone this one.  It needs more structure to the bands of rivots.  Never mind, with a nice satiny earthy green glaze running down over the rivots it will look much better.   Some of my best pots are the ones that are a little different.

I'll be dreaming about little rivots tonight.....the thumbs are a bit on the tired side, rolling all those little balls, again and again and again.  GOTTA LOVE POTTERY! 

Bonsai Pots, More To It Than Meets the Eye

NEW WEBSITE :   Fionna's Bonsai Pots

I'm using a new website for both Blog Posts and for Selling my Bonsai Pots.   Click the above blue link to be redirected. Thankyou.

_____________________________________You'd think that once a bonsai pot was completed and taken out of the kiln, that would be the end of the process.
But for me, that is probably about the half way point.

There's a list of things to do next.

1.  Check each pot over for cracks and flaws.

2.   Bring them all inside to take individual pictures/sometimes redo/upload.

3.   Measure each of them in Centimetres and Inches. (not everyone is using metrics)

4.   Make up a tag and label each one (tags all hand made by me)

5.   Sort through SOLD/ON HOLD pots on the blog for a gap.  Pick out the best picture of each pot and add number/caption and export to the blog.

6.    Remove already SOLD pots from blog once received.

7.    Check emails regularly for orders. Reply/quote shipping/waiting on replys/payments all take time. I normally wait a week for a decision on a HOLD pot, for some I wait a bit longer, but I need to tighten up on this.

7.    Then once the pots are selected I go back and check I have the correct delivery address, check to see if address given is a sneeky Rural Delivery one. (yes, I've been caught out by people not mentioning they live in the middle of nowhere) Some try to avoid paying extra RDelivery costs - it then comes out of my pocket, and believe me...they aren't that full.  It only happens once, as I put a big note against their name in case they try it again!

8.     Then I finally get round to actually packing the pots up.
I've learned that to skimp on the packing is just plain stupid.  There have been a few comments about my packing....most say "well done", a few will say "over done".  Really I'm not too bothered if they think it's over done, at least the pot got to them in one piece. Don't even get me started on the cost of bubblewrap, I now have an arrangement with a chap in town who gets it by the bucket loads!  After all, there is such a thing as a recycle bin in New Zealand.  They quite like to gobble up newspaper and bubblewrap and the odd cardboard carton.  We all have to do our bit with recycling after all.

9.  Then after packing and weighing (to make sure I haven't gone over the weight limit) it's out to the car for the trip into town.

10.  Yes, I live in a rural area, so I need to make a special trip into town to send off Courier parcels and parcels being sent via NZ Post. (ahh yes...the cost of extra petrol that I don't pass on for postage)

11.   Filling out the paperwork for Courier Dockets has become fairly automatic and a daily occurance at times. All of these need to be filed away until after the package has been delivered and the buyer has emailed back to say they're happy with them.

12.   Then there is the occasional parcel that seems to get stuck in transit somewhere and needs me to harass the Courier Company to find out "why". There appear to be alot of "New Courier Drivers" taking the blame for delays etc.  Sometimes a parcel going to Auckland may be delivered the next day, while something much closer to home like Dunedin will take 3 or 4.  It's something I have no control over.....everything else in the bonsai pot making process is controlled by me....but not that.

13.   Then before you know it, the process starts all over again.

So if I am a day or two late in sending the odd pot away, just think about the process I go through.  I'm it.....no helpers now...just me and the clay. 

Happy days.