Jay Jasper's Blog, page 100
February 14, 2021
The Worst, Most Unromantic (Seriously Just Awful) Valentine’s Story Ever to Be Told
Hera’s Heart, follows the tale of tantrum and tears of one of the most famous gods of Olympus. She’s beautiful and her position as Queen of the gods has afforded her untold power. Today we take an in depth look at the goddess of women, marriage, child birth and family – Hera.
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Trophy Wife
In order to try to understand the intricacies of Hera and her penchant for revenge, it is important to get to the root of most of her problems. Her marriage.
It’s not like young Hera had a thing for the bad boys. She had resisted the advances of Zeus for what seemed like forever.
Ladies, other people who have relationships with a certain kind of man, you know this story. We’ve all been there or know someone who has. That man comes along and you try to ignore him, which only makes him want you more. That’s because his attraction is based on the fact that he’s objectified you. Sure, it feels kind of flattering at first, but it gets awfully lonely on that pedestal he’ll put you on.
NOT Hera’s Valentine’s DayPart Time LoverZeus relentlessly pursued Hera, who had little interest in a relationship with him. She was a busy goddess, with important work, looking after women, their relationships and families. Eventually, though, his relentless advances paid off and the two would wed.
It is questionable whether or not they ever had a honeymoon period. Perhaps that’s because almost immediately after their nuptials, Zeus showed the true colours of his variable emotions by constantly falling in love with other women and having children with them. So much so that his offspring outside his marriage vastly outnumbered those conceived with Hera. In other words, he would definitely have been guest material for a Jerry Springer baby daddy show.
My husband won’t stop having babies with other womenHera was a proud goddess. After all, she was Queen of Olympus. Unfortunately that pride was often injured. It wasn’t just the fact that Zeus was having affairs and chasing after several mortals, but also he was not the most discreet philanderer.
Couples find ways to work out their troubles oftentimes. But when do you know your marriage is in trouble? If your husband has children in the double digits with other women, it might be advisable to end that relationship.
Unfortunately that wasn’t really an option for Hera in her situation. The constant humiliation and whispers at Mount Olympus ate away at her. She soon become consumed with revenge.
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You Better Don’t cross Hera
Girl Code doesn’t seem to have been a thing back in ancient times, at least not among the gods. Sadly, often bested by Zeus, Hera often took her revenge upon his mistresses.
Don’t forget to turn Io into a cow!Understand that these women were for the most part blameless mortals relentlessly pursued by a womanizing Lothario with untold power and influence. After some time, Zeus must have known that these women he ‘loved’ would become the target of Hera’s wrath.
The moral of the story:
If he thinks he’s a God, He’s Probably NotTake these words to heart, or yours may be broken!
A happier-than-this-valentine’sDAy to you!
(it would not take much)
A ‘Great Pottery Gift Basket’ For You
And not only can you win, but you can help determine how many things go in the prize basket! To participate, all you need to do is sign up for our newsletter here:
As our newsletter audience grows, so will the number of pieces of pottery I add to the basket!
One lucky winner will receive what I hope to be a grand haul of pottery!We will start things off small, with this tiny piece below:
Starting off with a tortoise in the race may seem to be a foolish strategy, but remember, in the end they were the one who won
And maybe you will too! Sign up for our newsletter today for your chance, and you may win this gift basket, with which your help will be full of great items!
Submit a form.Don’t worry if you’ve already signed up – you are already entered! Please feel free to follow us on our social media (top right of page) and share the contest so we can add even more pieces of pottery to the gift basket.
A Day For Love – For everyone.
In honour of a Valentine’s Day for everyone: Jewelry to celebrate loving yourself
“I Love Myself” Raku Pendant$30
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Take a look at even more jewelry over on the Jewelry page.
hope you have a Day filled with love and kindness!This Week At The Studio In Photos
The snow finally came, and boy did it! In less than 12 hours we received one doggy deep of snow!
The Vase of Dreams was revealed!
The Alchemist’s Studio with some big icicles!
The Pit Fired Pottery page was updated with new works like this one$88
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Textures from a tree
Other than the 2 feet of snow, we received some Purple Rain $122
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That’s been the week here.
How’s your week been?
February 13, 2021
February 12, 2021
The Place To Go When You Get Tired Of Waiting For The World To Be Different
Located in a mystical valley and enclosed by the Kunlun Mountains. This place has been immortalized in writing, film, television, music and now in pottery. Maybe you have heard of it?
Jem and the holograms journeyed there, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow woke up there in ‘Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow’, resorts have been named after it, Stevie Nicks named a solo album after this place and Scooby Doo (Shaggy too) found it!
Shangri-La
Shangri-La $96Shipping Included in US and Canada
This mythical utopia
Is considered to be an earthly paradise where the inhabitants age very slowly and are practically immortal. People here are fabled to live hundreds of years beyond an ordinary lifespan.
Shangri-la, much like the Garden of Eden is representative of a paradise hidden from today’s society. Something that many yearn for and seek, but few find.
Perhaps one day our global family can create Shangri-La on this Earth and this myth may become reality and we can all live in a utopia of our creation.
Shangri-La was also one of the pieces I included in my exhibit, ‘The Myth of Family’ at the Oxford Riverside Gallery. You can learn more about this exhibit and my process creating the art work for it here. Be sure to watch the video which includes footage of throwing on the wheel, firing, the venue and the pieces exhibited.
What do you think of this raku pottery vase ‘Shangri-La’? Do you think that such a Utopia can exist on Earth?February 11, 2021
An Interview with Jay Jasper from The Alchemist’s Studio
Please welcome Jay Jasper from The Alchemist’s Studio at https://rakupottery.ca, He is a self-taught Raku pottery artist. He’s on the eve of publishing his first book, A Potter’s Dream: Myths and Legends. Jay takes an interesting approach to each piece of pottery by associating it with myths and legends with a unique approach to storytelling.
Melinda: What did you want to be when you grew up?
Jay: When I grew up I used to want to be an archaeologist. I think the ‘Indiana Jones’ series of movies may have had something to do with that! I spent a lot of time in the library reading about ancient history and reading about the lives of people across cultures and times. For me, this was an escape from the challenges of a difficult childhood and the source of much daydreaming. Even back then I could somehow perceive that objects have stories and perhaps a kind of energy of their own. It makes me smile to think that I am now making such objects and retelling some of those stories that I read as a child as part of my artistic practise.
The Eye of HorusMelinda: At what age did you make your first piece of pottery?
Jay: I made my first piece of pottery in elementary school. I remember the piece fondly, though it is now a lost relic of my past. Ironically, it was a vase. It was made by using a coiling technique where you roll the clay in coils, or as we referred to them at the time, little snakes and build up the wall of the pot, scoring each coil and then attaching them with slip one by one. The process can be time consuming. I am grateful that I know use a wheel to make my vases now. My first raku vase was thrown on the wheel. It was pretty tiny and resembled an ink pot.
First vase (far right) as an adult beside current work M: What other artist skills do you have or pursuing?
J: I have had a fondness for art that started as a teenager. Prior to that I had an art teacher who was also the gym teacher. He was more of a gym teacher than an art teacher, and I did not really enjoy art. I started painting while in high school one rainy day with my friend Ellen. She was an art major in university at the time and she changed the way I view art. There was no expected outcome or constraints and that freedom helped me express my feelings around trauma I had experienced and teenage angst in general. I had also started writing at that time, and have a few old journals of poetry from that time. Teenage poetry! I have continued to write and paint since then off and on again throughout the years. I have now been doing pottery for 5 years and have also explored printmaking. Pottery, and specifically raku pottery has become my main focus and has become a huge part of my life. It’s love, magic and passion all rolled into one. It makes my heart happy.
Monet’s Garden – My painting is influenced by the impressionists M: What is the difference in Raku pottery and other pottery?
J: Raku pottery and regular pottery have a number of key difference. The raku process originated in Japan around the 16th century. Fun fact: Raku means pleasure or enjoyment, and for me, it lives up to the name! Traditionally raku pieces were hand built pots. In my work, most of the pieces I create are wheel-thrown vases. Raku pottery is different from regular pottery in regards to the glazes that are used and the firing process. While regular pottery is allowed to cool in the kiln slowly over time, raku pottery is removed from the kiln when it is red hot. From there the pots are placed in easily combustible material like sawdust, newspaper, or other organic materials. The pot and materials are then covered, and as the flames burn all of the oxygen is used. This process is known as reduction, or oxidation-reduction. Variables such as temperature, glaze composition, reduction material and a few other tricks produces unique chance effects that can have unexpected and often beautiful results.
M: I’ve seen several post where you ask people to name the of pottery, that’s so much fun. How did you come up with the idea?
J: When I finished my first few raku firings I was enchanted by the results. There was so many different effects that can not be achieved any other way that they were spellbinding to me. As silly as it may sound, I would spend time looking at my pieces. At that time I was posting my pottery piece on Instagram and I started sharing my impressions and thoughts on these pieces. This would eventually lead to me creating stories for many of my pieces. I noticed that people enjoyed reading these stories and reflections and I also enjoyed writing them. they helped bring the pieces to life. When I started my website rakupottery.ca I noticed that there was a great community of writers out there. One day I thought why not give other people the chance to ‘Name that Vase’, as I was interested to see what other people might come up with. At the time I thought it would be a one off post on my blog, but I was blown away by the response and the creativity and impressions of others, so much so that this has now become a monthly feature. People continue to amaze with their beautiful writing. It seems a community has emerged around ‘Name that Vase’, and they have made me laugh, smile, cry, and shown me things I have not seen in my own work. It also amazes and humbles me that people want to write about my work. For the people involved in the community it serves as a writing prompt or a chance to be creative. People also enjoy reading what others have come up with, so it is a real win for everyone. An artistic collaboration that has become a very meaningful way for me to connect with other artists while out in the wilds of Canada.
Kinsukuroi 
Rokonlélek M: How do you decide what glaze colors to use on each piece?
J: This is an interesting and more complicated question with multiple answers. There are times when I throw a piece on the pottery wheel knowing that I am looking for certain shapes and angles that have tendencies to give certain effects I like from a particular glaze. So sometimes I make the piece for the glaze. Sometimes, after throwing a piece an idea for a story will come to me and I choose one of my glazes that seems likely to support my story. And of course sometimes I just experiment with glazes on pieces. Part of the magic of raku is you can not have total control over the results. Much like life, you need to surrender to what fate may bring, but as you understand the nuances of raku and your glazes you can increase the likelihood of positive results and influence the outcome. Of course, sometimes the results are disappointing. Sometimes they are not what you had planned and something even more intriguing emerges. I am always learning more about how glazes interact with the raku process and different variables that are a part of it.
Fractal Magic
Delphinus’ Light M: Tell me about the book, how did the book come about?
J: It has been a dream of mine to write a book for many years. I have started a few of them over the years. I always figured I would one day write and finish a book when the time was right. When I became consumed by my passion for pottery, I had put this dream aside. While at my recent art show ‘The Myth of Family’ (video link available) I noticed that people really enjoyed reading the stories associated with the pieces. So much so that people were talking to me about their favourite stories. A few days after the opening of the art show, it hit me. I had already written much of the book through creating these stories and that there was synergy between my pottery and writing. After that, I started looking through my content and organizing it and laying out the book. It has been a steep learning curve, but I have found out I enjoy it. In order to defray the costs of printing the book I have embarked on a crowdfunding project to offset some of the costs. I am really humbled and grateful that I am at 127% of my goal. I am passionate about my book project, because it makes my pottery accessible to people who appreciate my work, but can’t necessarily afford a particular piece. I often say that if I won the lottery I would love to be able to make pottery and give pieces away to people who love it the most. But I have not won the lottery and pottery is sort of an expensive undertaking,so this book is the closest I can get to that for now. Each piece of my pottery is a little part of me, they are almost like my children. When someone has a piece that I made in their home I am honoured. To know something I was able to create becomes a part of someone’s daily life in some small way makes me smile. I like to somehow think that far off in time some future archaeologist who followed their dream might find a part of one of my pieces and that appeals to the child in me.
A Potter’s Dream: Myths and LegendsMy last exhibition “The Myth of Family” ran at the Oxford Riverside Gallery!
Dreams Realized
You may recollect the Vase of Dreams. Essentially, it is a project that incorporates your dreams for the world into a piece of raku pottery. The project was interrupted by COVID-19s impact on life around here (read more on that here) but I can happily share that it is now complete and I am very excited to share it with you.
You are an integral part of this pieceThe Vase of Dreams was fired in a similar manner to the Healing Vase. This firing included strips of paper as fuel for the reduction and on those strips of paper were the dreams that you have submitted in the comments.
Here are a few of them.
we humans are causing untold damage through deforestation. The world needs to become greener, in more ways than one. To heal the divisions in this country. To find a more equitable future where all are equal and heal the pain of our oppressive past. To embrace the change that comes and unite for a better future.
Just love one another! Let all that we do be done in love.
I hope for healing of every kind needed for each person on this planet. Some need physical healing, some emotional and yet others spiritual.
I would wish that it were possible to heal the minds, bodies and souls of everyone so that the peoples of the world could live together in love and harmony. Raku dreams in fire Await a heated process To bring hope for all
I wish for the world to bravely embrace the strength inside their souls to breed unity so that all life on earth could become whole.Your dreams were the fuel
for firing this vase.
February 10, 2021
On The Wheel Wednesday
you can choose to breathe in and fill it with love, life and things that spark JOY.
mindfully choosing what occupies space in your life.
being your best self. What is the one thing you’ve choosen more of in the New year? or what is something your choosing to let go of?Let us know in the comments below and help inspire others! You can learn more about our work here at the studio and what we are all about in just one minute. Check out our introductory video and subscribe to our youtube channel! And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter here. Once we hit 500 subscribers, we will be doing another giveaway for some of our beautiful pottery!
February 9, 2021
I need your help! Can you help me make a ‘Great Pottery Gift Basket’ for You?
It’s been a bit of a mixed bag here with kiln repairs and the ongoing covid saga, but I’m trying to stay positive and optimistic.
It’s in that spirit, that I have decided to do one big give away this year and not only can you win, but you can help determine how many things go in this basket. To participate, all you need to do is sign up for our newsletter here:
As our newsletter audience grows, so will the number of pieces of pottery I add to the basket!
One lucky winner will receive what I hope to be a grand haul of pottery!We will start things off small, with this tiny piece below:
Starting off with a tortoise in the race may seem to be a foolish strategy, but remember, in the end they were the one who won
And maybe you will too! Sign up for our newsletter today for your chance, and you may win this gift basket, with which your help will be full of great items!
Submit a form.Don’t worry if you’ve already signed up – you are already entered! Please feel free to follow us on our social media (top right of page) and share the contest so we can add even more pieces of pottery to the gift basket.
And those for you wondering about our last contest …The ornaments on the tree have been counted, and a winner will be announced soon. It’s not too late to make a guess and sign up to the newsletter, where a winner will be announced very soon!
