Sunday, February 20, 2011

"But I've never been a saint..."

 Just like getting your clay to centre on the wheel your life may flow with more ease if you find a centre within your self. When you sit down to throw form you make is simple to achieve when the clay you are throwing is centred on the wheel. You find that you are not struggling against but being what it is to become.

      Step 1: 
       Focusing upon an ordinary pebble or twig. For this session, 
       set out a small pebble in front of you as your meditative object: 
       and just stare at it one-pointedly, letting your awareness neither 
       stray from it nor identify with it.

Here is some brief background information to place the images into some context. Esoteric Buddhism is the type of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and preceded Zen Buddhism in Japan. I have included the first step in the development of mahamudra which is the practice and teaching that leads to the realization of one mind in Esoteric Buddhism. During the Kamakura period in Japan Zen Buddhism began to replace esoteric forms of Buddhism. Here is a mandala and some ceramics from the same time period. The rustic and simple forms produced at kilns sites like Tamba later became the inspiration for wares created for the tea ceremony.




Here is a Woodfired Tamba jar from the Late Kamakura Period (14th Century)
14in. (35.7cm.) high. Tamba was one of the 6 ancient kilns sites that were founded in the early Kamakura period in Japan


Lousy Reputation by The Stills

Saturday, February 19, 2011

To kiss the sleeping muse

Google informed me that today was Constantin Brancusi's Birthday. He would have been 135 years old today if he was still alive. He is one of the most interesting modern sculptors in my opinion.  Here is a little cup he made in 1918.
You can find some of his work here or here as well as many other collections. Some craft readers may be interested in looking into to his Romanian folk inspired wood carvings and wood door frames.

These images are from the Centre Pompidou collection.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Expected Delivery

This is a video that was requested by one of my readers. Probably because it is a bit embarrassing for me. I decided to send some videos to a friend to edit (The same person who was asking why I didn't post this video). I have been lagging behind on the editing so she agreed to try it. I hope she has some fun with it and gives us something we will all enjoy. Here is a screen shot from the Canada post site of the DVD on its way to Jenny. Yeah I know it's not very exciting but I think it's fun to be able to track your parcels. I mean it's winter.

Well here is the video. I was taking photographs of the work as the kiln was unloaded. And of course I have lost those photographs.