Comments (2)

By Hodaka, June 20, 2010

Where does  the clay come from?  I don’t dig my own clay in our backyard.  I wish.  I purchase from the Laguna Clay Company, and come in a box pre-mixed #510.  They keep the content (receipe) secret, so I really do not know.

I used to mix the clay, which was back breaking operation.  Yes, mixed. I purchased 50lb bag of dry materials; Hawthorne Bond Clay (Missouri) , OM-4 ball clay (Kentucky),  EPK(Florida), Custer Feldspar (South Dakot) and Flint. It is not mine in single location.

In Japan, pottery clay is mined locally, and glazed with local materials (ashes) to make their product unique (one of kind), and people appreciate it. It makes the pottery more expensive .  Bizen pottery was known to purchase a lot of the rice field for their clay, by digging the rice field and removing the clay means no more rice production there as well as you do not know what kind of clay you can get until mine. It is very expensive transaction.

Is it possible to do the same in US?  Yes, I think some do, however  I think people do not see much difference in the final product, or its value.  I sometimes wonder how many people see the difference between the high fire and low fire.  I think mining and making clay too much time-consuming and challenging practice , meaning finding, testing and processing clay as well as fitting the glaze, not mention storing these unprocessed clay, to justify the cost.  I do not mind using the clay in the box as long as I can make my own pottery. Painter uses the paint in tube.  I do not think people ever asking the painter, where the paint or canvas comes from.

Comments (2)

By Hodaka, June 16, 2010

One of neat thing about the Allentown Art Festival is a lodging. The Holiday-inn is in front of my booth. It is neat to see the booth at night from the room. I guess someone broke-in to my booth overnight, and took a large vase. Maybe around the time I took this picture. Kinds of ironic. I have been doing this show and had never had problem before. Then, one of customer told me the vase was shuttered three blocks away. What is the point…. I don’t understand.

I have applied the award competition for a decade, and finally got one. It is very nice to be recognized.

Comments (0)

By Hodaka, June 9, 2010

Well, the weather dictated the Three Rivers Arts Festival last weekend. I should note to myself, “no outdoor show in the first week of June”, as the weather is not stable.. I have not seen such a strong rain. My bowl at outside the booth collected close to 1” in 30 minutes. The entire booth became a part of the stream, and kids were only ones having fun! I had five years plan for this festival, to establish the repeat customer base, and this was the fifth year. Last year, I felt some build-up and had high expectation. Due to the rain, the five years plan did not meet my goal.  This festival is physically demanding in terms of set-up / tear-down and long hours; driving and festival hours. Live music was very loud this year I hardly hear customer talks, very bad for business.

Thank you very much for those who came.

Good note, I enjoyed the Pirates ball game after the show with awesome fireworks.

Next up, Allentown Art Festival this weekend.