Jay Jasper's Blog, page 105

2020 was the pits!

From now until the end of January 2021, you can be the first to buy a piece from our most recent firing for 10% off!

2020 was the pits!

Vase In Focus – Sobek’s Tears

“The story of an aggressive and fearless god who not only controlled the waters of the Nile







but also suffered from hyperhidrosis



(excessive sweating).



Sobek’s Tears – $90
Shipping included in US and Canada

Get the Full Story.

What do you think of this story/Vase?

View more raku vases

On The Wheel Wednesday

It’s a New Year! Filled with possibilities.







Possibilities to spark joy. To create. To love. To reconnect.







It’s time to set some new intentions and let go of old ones. To embrace hope!







What are your dreams and hopes for 2021? Please share them and let me know in the comments below!

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!

Looking back: Top 5 Creations of 2019

When 2019 drew to a close, it had been a challenging year in many ways, but I did my best to harness those challenges and use that energy to make beautiful things.

Among the challenges, there were many bright spots to my year both personally and creatively. I wanted to take this opportunity to re-share my top five creative achievements with you!

One: My first book ever! ‘A Potter’s Dream: Myths and Legends’



The books are finally here!

‘A Potter’s Dream: Myths & Legends’ pairs my pottery creations with myths and legends from around the world retold with my own quirky spin.

You can get your own copy of this book here. It makes a great gift for those who love pottery, mythology or both!

Two: ‘The Healing Vase Project‘:

This was born out of my personal grief and that of others who shared their experiences with me. It was the most meaningful and special project that I completed in 2019. You can learn more about this project by watching the video below.

The Healing Vase‘Healing Vase’ – Our Fall community art project,





Be sure to subscribe to our youtube channel here



Three: Mother of Dragons – Raku Vase

2019 was the year that the television show ‘Game of Thrones’ ended. The ending was a disappointment to many of the fans, including me. But one thing I was not disappointed in was how my ‘Game of Thrones’ inspired vase turned out.

You can see more images of ‘Mother of Dragons’ and read the story behind the vase here.



Four: ‘The Myth of Family’ – My first solo art show for my pottery.

In this month long solo exhibition, the Alchemist’s Studio explored family from a spiritual, cultural, emotional, and personal perspective through the use of sculpture, vases and mythology. Each piece told part of the interwoven story that explores our collective roots and the twisted branches that tell the tale of our human family and experience through myths and stories from around the world and throughout time.

See the exhibit at Oxford Riverside Gallery as highlighted in the video below:

Five: Completed my first ‘Pit Firing’ of pottery.

One of the goals I had set for myself in 2019 was to explore alternative firing techniques. Firing pottery in a pit – or pit firing – is an ancient practice that dates back to 25,000 – 29,000 BCE. Learn more about the process here and you can find some more of my examples of pit fired pottery in this gallery.

I also did a pit firing in 2020!

I guess it was a busier year than I thought! I would also give honourable mentions to a few other accomplishments in 2019. This was the first year that I was able to throw vases that reached the maximum height of my kiln, like this piece here.

There was also much work done on my studio. There is still much more work, but the progress was quite substantial as you can see below:

And more updates continued in 2020!

What pieces or projects of 2019 at the Alchemist’s Studio did you enjoy the most? You can stay current on all of our upcoming projects, news and special offers by subscribing to our newsletter here.

From The Desk Of Chairman Meow

Hello.



I know
you’ve missed me.

I, Chairman Meow, have been busy preparing for winter because the humans are not doing it the right way. I am much more effective than they are – but they don’t ever admit it. One day they will learn the error of their ways but until then I will continue sharing with them my newest lewk.

the chairman scowl



FASHION

When I am not doing my little turns on the catwalk,
I have been working on my project.

Alone without their help.

They are truly terrible royal subjects.

please admire My Butts







Chairman Meow’s Cat Butt Magnets
$30/set
Price Includes Shipping In US and Canada

That is all for now.

You’re welcome.

You can learn more about the humans work here at The Alchemist’s Studio and what they are all about in just one minute. They have this introductory video and told me to add something about signing up for a newsletter? I don’t even know what that is. Anyway, once they hit 500 subscribers, they will be doing another giveaway of something. There are some other animal things here too.

It better not be a giveaway of Chairman Meow.

Mugshot Monday

“Almost all my middle-aged and elderly acquaintances, including me, feel about 25, unless we haven’t had our coffee, in which case we feel 107.” 

– Martha Beck



Mug 1 $35

Shipping Included in US and Canada



New Mugs are coming soon! Sign up below to be contacted when they are ready!


Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.NameFirstLastEmail *I would like to be added to the Alchemist's Studio Newsletter (we will not spam nor share your email address).Yes, please include my email on the newsletter subscription listPlease check "Yes" if you agree to have your email address added.WebsiteSubmit

Click here to view all mugs.

This Week At The Studio In Photos

More mugs coming soon!



The night the snow came



This month’s Name That Vase is



The morning after the storm



This week’s vase story – Nereus and Doris

Nereus & Doris – $150
Includes Shipping in US and Canada




The Alchemist’s Studio warm and safe.







That’s been the week here.

How’s your week been?

Her Mother in Law is Pregnant AGAIN, and she’s tired of the pressure to keep up

Story Saturday is back

After a small holiday hiatus and some much needed time off! So without further adieu, here we go!

This weeks story for the raku vase ‘Nereus & Doris‘ focuses on the virtuous power couple of the sea, known for their fertility and general good nature. If you know anything about Greek mythology, which is a lot like reality television, this could only mean one thing. They would be replaced.

Nereus & Doris – $150
Includes Shipping in US and Canada

Nereus, son of Gaia, was an honest man, known for never lying. But there was something fishy about him, and I don’t just mean his scales and tail. Maybe it was his shapeshifting ways, or his prophetic visions.

Doris was the daughter of Oceanus, and was known for the fertility of the oceans and her womb, for it is not every goddess who has the strength and tenacity to birth more than 50 children. There is even a cove named after her in Antarctica. Unfortunately her mother in law Gaia was always at her to have more children.

Nereus – $38
Includes Shipping in US and Canada






Doris – $ 124
Includes Shipping in US and Canada






While it’s true that this couple had over 50 children together

It was never enough for Nereus, who was a bit of a momma’s boy. Add to that his ability to never lie, and we have a real problem.

Outwardly, no one even realized to ask if there was anything wrong with this watery super couple, which is a good thing, or Nereus would have to tell the truth. But behind the scenes, the tell tale signs of problems were almost there from the start.

Doris was pretty happy to end up with Nereus. She wasn’t wet behind the ears when it came to god like status, and she seized the chance to marry up-and-comer Nereus, who would eventually replace her own father as god of the sea.

She hadn’t anticipated the impact of her new mother in law who also happened to be her grandmother. In almost an instant her grandma Gaia had gone from a largely absentee grandma how sent the occasional birthday card to a mother in law who only cared about one thing: Doris making more babies.

At first Doris took this in stride, and maintained her composure

But eventually after birthing 50 children she had enough. She decided to talk to her honest husband, who could not lie.

Nereus, who took after his mother, wanted more children. As the god of the sea he felt the need to constantly have more children, and poor Doris was left to care for all her children.

Doris knew that in order for their love to continue and for her to have a break from labour pains that something needed to change. She not only resisted the pressure of mother-in-law Gaia to have more children, but she prepared her daughter Amphitrite to take over for her.

Doris then set her up with another up-and-comer in the ocean, Poseidon, who would eventually become the new god and king of the sea, thereby freeing herself from the chains of constant labour.

But unlike other dethroned old gods, Nereus was able to fade into obscurity with Doris, where they lie deep below the murky depths.

This was finally Doris’ Day.



Doris – $ 124
Includes Shipping in US and Canada

Hindsight Is 2020

A new year is upon us

And though most of us are glad to see the back of 2020, it will never be said that last year wasn’t memorable.

It’s been a challenging and surreal year in so many ways, but it’s also been a year that has caused me to stretch and grow, and in that I can find some gratitude.

Yes, 2020 was the year face masks became the new fashion trend and politicians lied to us (an ongoing issue), where we lost loved ones, were locked down and the more fortunate among us started working from home.

But it was also the year many of us pulled together to protect those we love, our communities and became more resilient. We found new challenges that stretched and pulled us in unfamiliar and uncomfortable ways, but allowed us to grow. It was also a year that brought inequality into the spotlight and had many of us continuing to question the stratification of our current society based on class, race, finances and gender and searching for answers.

2021 is a new year, with new possibilities.

I am hopeful that this is the year that things in our world will change for the better. For me, I will continue to create and bring beauty to the world and follow my dreams of becoming a full time potter, because in a world with an invisible virus, we all need something to hang on to.

I wish all my readers a better year filled with love, good health and many unexpected BLESSINGS and JOY!

You can see our 2020 in pictures here, and if you’re interested you can check out some of our raku pottery creations here.

Owl 1 – $75
Shipping included in US and Canada






Rokonlélek – $198
Shipping included in US and Canada






Medicine Wheel – $28
Shipping included in US and Canada

2020 was the pits!

Pit firing is the first method that man used to fire pottery almost 30,000 years ago.

It was considered a great milestone in the development of civilization, in part because people were tired of drinking their wine out of wooden buckets.

With such an interesting story behind these pieces, and their ethereal smokey qualities with small splashes of textures and depth, they would make a welcome gift for someone who likes unique and eclectic one of a kind pieces that are worth beholding.

From now until the end of January 1st, 2021, if you are the first to buy a piece from our most recent firing, you will receive for 10% off. You can check out our selection of pit fired pieces here.

Prices have already been reduced on the page and include free shipping to the United States and Canada.

$125

See more pit fired vases here

To sweeten the pit, the first person to buy a pit fired piece will receive a small gift of my choosing! I’ll pick out something cool for you, because this is my first time selling pottery fired with this technique, but it’s definitely not my first time firing pottery this way.

Looking forward to sending a pit-fired vase to it’s new home!

Don’t want to miss out on seeing all the available deals during this sale? Sign up for our Newsletter today. We will be sending out a summary of all of our sale items Sunday night, and you will have a chance to win some free pottery once we hit 500 subscribers, which I am hoping will be before the holidays!