Starting to make pots

Little by little, I turned the place into a functional living and working place. The house is still only one room but I made improvements that made the place much more cozy. A friend of Okudasan installed a new heater/AC, the old one was no longer working and also installed a Japanese ceiling lamp with a fancy remote control. An old friend of Mr. Tayamasan, a potter friend I met earlier in the year, came by and made a proposal for Japanese floor mats (tatami). Tatamis are essentials in every Japanese house. These mats are made of reed and if done correctly are about 6 cm thick. They are wonderful to walk on with a soft touch and importantly they keep the cold out from under the floor. Tayamasan’s friend, an old man and his son have a small business in town where the make tatamis by hand and I thought it is a great opportunity for me to contribute to the economy in Kasama. They measured the floor, made some suggestions on the layout and a week later came by the house to install the tatamis. New tatamis have a wonderful smell of grass and have a light green surface look that makes any room look very cozy. Needless to say, one sleeps very well on tatamis. I was glad that I decided to invest into this improvement as well. I can’t wait to get back as it is now a wonderful house, simple but very comfortable.

I originally came to Kasama to make pots, but my work on the property prevented me from doing so. My little studio was now ready for work. I made improvements and after the cleanup it turned into a cozy place. There was a sturdy table that I could use for wedging clay and other work. But perhaps more importantly, the table was the center where sat with friends and visitors. I would make tea and we sat around for a chat. I realized I made a place for people to come and they came just to say hello. A “community center” was in the making.

I also did not have a wheel. Okudasan said I could get one from him, yet his wheels needed a 220 volt outlet, requiring a new contract with the electrical company. So I decided to buy a second hand wheel. It was not the best decision as it turned out to be a noisy wheel. But nevertheless, I was able to make pots. I bought some Shigaraki and Kasama clay but also used the recycled clay that I prepared previously. It turned out that the recycled one had lots of small rocks and was rather rough clay, which I could see is attractive when fired in an anagama. So I made efforts to learn to throw this clay and I made some tea bowls (chawan), rice bowls and other smaller pieces. I had a steep learning curve again as everything was different, the clay, the wheel and the set up, which made it challenging. I also was still a bit tense from all the work I had done for the house and my mind was not set for being creative. I struggled with many aspects of making pots and often was very frustrated. The pieces were too thick walled, it was a challenge to trim them because of the rather rough clay and the shapes were not what I intended. Needless to say I was unhappy. Okudasan said I should enjoy the process of making pots but I struggled too much and I was not sure how to make it more enjoyable. Making ceramic pieces requires skills that I seem to have forgotten or lack all together. Seeing others making effortlessly functional pieces did not make it easier. But I also knew that I needed to work through this challenge and slowly but surely I was able to throw more comfortably. The rough clay also was a good choice to throw larger pieces, only to realize that I do not have chucks to trim them. It became evident that my new studio was not yet functional. When I looked into the anagama I realized how big the chamber is and how many pieces I would have to make in order to fire the kiln. What would I even do with all the pieces if I fired the kiln successfully? I had many thoughts about this and often was a bit weary about my endeavor. There seemed to an endless array of challenges that I had no clue how I would address them.

Nevertheless, I was happy that I could make pots. I noticed some technical improvement, although I was not content with my skills. I realized that I am still very much an amateur. I still had trouble to consistently throw pieces that have the same shape and thickness. In the Japanese craft world, an aspiring ceramist has to learn the very hard way to throw consistently and precisely, a skill considered essential for any successful potter. Any deshi (apprentice) stays with his/her sensee (master) for many years to become an accomplished craftsman. Me on the other hand learned my skills on my own besides of my regular job. I experienced my limitations, yet I was determined to improve my technical skills and artistic expression. I reminded me of the words by Okudasan; “enjoy making pottery”. I often looked up from my noisy wheel with the sun coming though the window to warm up the studio and I recognized that I am in a very unique and envious situation. I could make pottery without that I needed to worry about making it for a living. I reminded me that I should feel grateful that I could experience this incredible freedom. It was not so much about the product, but more about the process, the journey to get to where I hope I would be. I changed my approach towards the clay and in my last few days I was much more content with my time on the wheel and my pieces. Indeed they became more accomplished and I felt that I made progress.