She is off to India...

Zoë visited me for a bit before she left for India today. During her stay we did the usual: cook awesome food, drink a lot of coffee, sauna, wander, and she even painted on some of my ceramics (coming soon.) Below is the night we made Japanese food, it was amazing, and the third setting was for our friend Anthony. 

 

We had to go to a few favorite places, including the Yellow Deli. You should see their awesome bus and ship!

 

And the Autumn Cafe...

Jenna dyed Zoë's hair, and a pakistani girl at school thought she was indian when she wore her salwar kameez.

We drank tea by the lake while we waited for the sauna to get hot.

 

And now she is off to India...

You can follow Zoë's adventures on her blog.

Miyazaki Inspired Ceramic Creatures

As I venture further into art, I find many artists I like, although there is one artist I love in particular: Hayao Miyazaki. Nature, machine, and flight are just a few among many inspirations we share. There are strong anti-war messages in all his films without them being particularly political. The more research I do on the inspiration and origin of design and plot the more inspired I get to continue my art career. 

Below is a piece inspired by Howl's Moving Castle.

Laputa Robot

 

I made two of the following to experiment with design and pattern.

Giant Warrior Skulls (Nausicaa)

I enjoy the Japanese culture and aesthetic of simple, clean, imaginative design, so I made the following:

Martin Figure

Mountain Figure

Teaware

Not that you don't hear enough about tea on this blog, but...

I made a bunch of teaware. There's not too much to say about it. I worked really hard and experimented with a lot of different construction methods and styles. Things did not turn out as I expected but these are my first cups and teapots.

This is a partially Chinese and partially Japanese style teapot.

After completion I saw this at the Met, I am almost there. I like the loops designed for a bamboo handle, something I will do next time.

European Style Teapot

Stingray Dish

Rustic Mugs

(for rustic cabin life)
((totally on purpose))

White Teacup

Striped Tea Cup

Colorful Teacup

Striped Cups I am learning to love,
(glaze did not turn out as expected.)

Buddha(s)

You may have seen this photo a few weeks ago. I have finished them! So now I shall reveal and explain the inspirations for these Buddhas. First is fasting Buddha, one of my favorites, also one of the only figure with Buddha as man versus an awakened being. This photo is from my trip to the MET.

Next, this is one of my favorite Buddhas I saw while traveling and also the one that inspired this project.

The Buddha I made is obviously based off of this one I saw in Japan. He ended up looking kind of like my advisor so I have named him Sleepy Meditating Professor Huntington Buddha. He is sleepy because his head slumped a little bit in the hotter glaze firing.

Buddha under the Bodhi Tree

(A candle can also fit inside the tree, lighting the Buddha's eyes and holes in the tree, the arrangement of the branches are based on my hair.)

Tara

Left: Chinese Monk
Right: Buddha Head

Left: Incense Burner
Right: Buddha Feet

Left: Reclining Buddha

Right: Buddha Head and Miyazaki Giant Warrior inspired Skull

Haiku from May 10th, 2012

Inside, warm with tea,
outside it's early morning
misting blue and green.

Haiku from May 8th, 2012

Wrinkled dark wet bark,
twisted boughs sprout tender leaves,
nurturing spring rain.