It was all started by holding a Japanese tea bowl that was a few centuries old...
When my brother returned from Japan, he brought with him a wood fired ancient tea bowl. I vividly recall the experience of holding this bowl in my hands for the first time. It was like holding the hands of the potter. The textures and depth of surface were endless and highly inspiring. From that point on, I wanted to create objects for use in daily life that would invoke a similar experience of inspiration and comfort that I had been exposed to.
Growing up I used mass-produced disposable items, which have little or no character. All I have wanted since drinking tea out of that ancient bowl is to work on achieving this same depth of character in something created by my own hands. With the idea of this experience in mind, nothing solidified my passion as much as working with clay that was so responsive to my touch. I am a mechanically inclined person, who always has a desire to understand how things work. The process involved from start to finish drives my passion, and keeps me questioning life as a process.
The realization of keeping the spirit of an ancient method alive has led me to the addiction of wood firing. Wood firing is a very laborious process defined by experience and not scientific hypothesis and proofs. It has become something that I cannot imagine living without. I am intrigued with this ancient tradition, not in a romanticizing sense, but in a way that cultural heritage needs to preserved and kept alive. Every time I load my hand made pots into my custom built kiln, I must be conscious of the way the flame will touch them. During this loading process, I meticulously prepare and plan for the multiple day journey of the firing process ahead, and await the results that take me back to that ancient Japanese tea bowl.
When my brother returned from Japan, he brought with him a wood fired ancient tea bowl. I vividly recall the experience of holding this bowl in my hands for the first time. It was like holding the hands of the potter. The textures and depth of surface were endless and highly inspiring. From that point on, I wanted to create objects for use in daily life that would invoke a similar experience of inspiration and comfort that I had been exposed to.
Growing up I used mass-produced disposable items, which have little or no character. All I have wanted since drinking tea out of that ancient bowl is to work on achieving this same depth of character in something created by my own hands. With the idea of this experience in mind, nothing solidified my passion as much as working with clay that was so responsive to my touch. I am a mechanically inclined person, who always has a desire to understand how things work. The process involved from start to finish drives my passion, and keeps me questioning life as a process.
The realization of keeping the spirit of an ancient method alive has led me to the addiction of wood firing. Wood firing is a very laborious process defined by experience and not scientific hypothesis and proofs. It has become something that I cannot imagine living without. I am intrigued with this ancient tradition, not in a romanticizing sense, but in a way that cultural heritage needs to preserved and kept alive. Every time I load my hand made pots into my custom built kiln, I must be conscious of the way the flame will touch them. During this loading process, I meticulously prepare and plan for the multiple day journey of the firing process ahead, and await the results that take me back to that ancient Japanese tea bowl.
