Jay Jasper's Blog, page 124
August 29, 2020
Project Update – A Shiny Old New Work Bench!
One Type Of Man You Never Want To Marry
We told the harrowing tale of the birth of Alcemene’s son, and how Hera almost stopped it from happening with witches and snakes. You can read more about how Hera was thwarted by another goddess in her attempts and how young Hercules helped form the Milky Way.
Hera’s Our Guest Today
Our vase this week, 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.

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.
Part Time Lover
Zeus 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 women
Hera 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.

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.

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 Not
Take these words to heart, or yours may be broken!
Next week on ‘As the Vase Turns’
You’ve been hearing a lot about Zeus, King of the Gods of Olympus. He seems to have his hands everywhere. Next week our story will feature this sometimes ungodly God and we shall tell his origin story.
What did you think about today’s raku pottery vase, Hera’s Heart, and our cautionary tale?
August 28, 2020
NASA Discovers Another New Planet!
The NovaScotia Alchemical Society of Astroexploration (NASA) has confirmed the discovery of a yet another new planet. More information about this planet will be released soon!

Travel restrictions bringing you down? Join us every Friday when we will bring new worlds to you. You can see another one of our planetoid spheres here!
Wishing all of you a wonderful weekend full of good things!
August 27, 2020
Thursday Throwdown Aug 27, 2020
It’s vase-to-vase combat like you have never seen before!
How it works: We share two vases and YOU vote which is your favourite! The winner will then move on to the next round to face another competitor!
This last week was EXTREMELY close with the winner coming in with only ONE vote more! With FOUR wins in a row, our winner is Evangeline!
We are going to pull out all the stops this week to see who might be able to knock Evangeline out of top spot!!
AN OLD ADVERSARY HAS JUST ENTERED THE RING!!
Is that? YES IT IS! IT IS PHOENIX REBORN!!!

$150 for both
Gorgeous Vases of No Contact Wrestling
The Series so far.
Vase Name
Gossip Girl
Phoenix Reborn
Pillar of Atlas
Evangeline
Ogopogo
Iris En Ciel
Original Twin
Wins/Losses
0/1
2/1
0/1
4/0
0/1
0/1
0/1
Read on for this week’s two stories and don’t forget to vote for your favourite!
Who will this week’s winner be?
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.I choose this vase as the winner.EvangelinePhoenix RebornMessageSubmit

$120
Evangeline tells the tale of a great Acadian love story that is a part of the local culture here in my home of Nova Scotia.
‘Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie’ is an epic poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In this poem he
follows her search for long lost love Gabriel, with whom she was betrothed.
Evangeline and Gabriel were separated by ‘The Great Upheavel’, also known as the Acadian Expulsion. During this dark chapter of English –
French relations in Canada, over eleven thousand Acadians were deported by the British.
Separated by the Acadian Expulsion, Evangeline and her betrothed would only be reunited in their old age when Gabriel, who was already very sick, would perish in her arms.
This work of fiction has become immortalized here in Nova Scotia, where you can follow the stunning landscape of the Evangeline Trail and explore the ancestral home of the Acadians! Nova Scotia invites you to
visit and explore our vibrant culture and landscape.
Maybe you will find your own ‘Gabriel’.

$80
This raku vase’s name was chosen by Mandy Lewis-Houston during , who explains it as follows:
I would call it “Phoenix Reborn” for several reasons. First is a little on the nose since it’s Raku and forged in flame. The second is because, if I read your blog properly, this is the first work you have finished since your sad loss. Lastly because July has been stupid hot for almost everyone everywhere so this could be a lovely harbinger of cooler times since it’s out of the flames and hopefully so are we all.
Thank you so much Mandy for your touching suggestion. I am really drawn to this name and feel like she has captured the essence of this piece on many levels. You can check out Mandy’s artistic works on her website here.
You may read more about my recent experiences that caused me to choose this particular name here – “Working Through Grief.”.
Their fate is now in your hands!
Who will be your victor? Please scroll up to add your Vote!
We will share the winner (and new competitor) next Thursday!
Thursday Throwdown Aug 13, 2020
It’s vase-to-vase combat like you have never seen before!
How it works: We share two vases and YOU vote which is your favourite! The winner will then move on to the next round to face another competitor!
This last week was EXTREMELY close with the winner coming in with only ONE vote more! With FOUR wins in a row, our winner is Evangeline!
We are going to pull out all the stops this week to see who might be able to knock Evangeline out of top spot!!
AN OLD ADVERSARY HAS JUST ENTERED THE RING!!
Is that? YES IT IS! IT IS PHOENIX REBORN!!!

$150 for both
Gorgeous Vases of No Contact Wrestling
The Series so far.
Vase Name
Gossip Girl
Phoenix Reborn
Pillar of Atlas
Evangeline
Ogopogo
Iris En Ciel
Original Twin
Wins/Losses
0/1
2/1
0/1
4/0
0/1
0/1
0/1
Read on for this week’s two stories and don’t forget to vote for your favourite!
Who will this week’s winner be?
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.I choose this vase as the winner.EvangelinePhoenix RebornMessageSubmit

$120
Evangeline tells the tale of a great Acadian love story that is a part of the local culture here in my home of Nova Scotia.
‘Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie’ is an epic poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In this poem he
follows her search for long lost love Gabriel, with whom she was betrothed.
Evangeline and Gabriel were separated by ‘The Great Upheavel’, also known as the Acadian Expulsion. During this dark chapter of English –
French relations in Canada, over eleven thousand Acadians were deported by the British.
Separated by the Acadian Expulsion, Evangeline and her betrothed would only be reunited in their old age when Gabriel, who was already very sick, would perish in her arms.
This work of fiction has become immortalized here in Nova Scotia, where you can follow the stunning landscape of the Evangeline Trail and explore the ancestral home of the Acadians! Nova Scotia invites you to
visit and explore our vibrant culture and landscape.
Maybe you will find your own ‘Gabriel’.

$80
This raku vase’s name was chosen by Mandy Lewis-Houston during
I would call it “Phoenix Reborn” for several reasons. First is a little on the nose since it’s Raku and forged in flame. The second is because, if I read your blog properly, this is the first work you have finished since your sad loss. Lastly because July has been stupid hot for almost everyone everywhere so this could be a lovely harbinger of cooler times since it’s out of the flames and hopefully so are we all.
Thank you so much Mandy for your touching suggestion. I am really drawn to this name and feel like she has captured the essence of this piece on many levels. You can check out Mandy’s artistic works on her website here.
You may read more about my recent experiences that caused me to choose this particular name here – “Working Through Grief.”.
Their fate is now in your hands!
Who will be your victor? Please scroll up to add your Vote!
We will share the winner (and new competitor) next Thursday!
August 26, 2020
On The Wheel Wednesday – Buoyancy

I want to slip through fingers,

but hold up a ship.”

– Michelle Williams
August 25, 2020
Born To Be Wise


August 23, 2020
This Week At The Studio In Photos





That’s been the week here.
How’s your week been?
August 22, 2020
The Magic Power of Breast Feeding
Our raku pottery vase ‘Io‘, told the tale of it’s namesake, a wandering cow with a secret, a man in chains, the ultimate cosmetic transformation, and an ending where the god gets the girl. It would be many generations later, but Io’s lineage would include one of the most important heroes of the gods.
You can read more about Io’s story here.
Prologue
Today’s raku pottery vase, Athena’s Trick, tells the harrowing tale of a new mother, a (surprise, surprise) vengeful goddess Hera, would be witch midwives, snakes in a cradle, subterfuge, the power of breast feeding and a tale of spilt milk that ends in a beautiful finish.



Hera we go again!
Io’s descendant, Alcmene was excited. She was pregnant and about to give birth to a child. But she had a secret that wasn’t kept very well. The father of her child to be was none other than Zeus. He was up to his old philandering ways again, and Hera was none to pleased. As usual.
Mount Olympus has no fury, like a goddess scorned, particularly if that goddess is named Hera.
I bet that wasn’t on the gift registry!
Hera was up to her old tricks again, triggered by yet another mistress of Zeus. What do you get your husband’s mistress for a shower gift? If you’re Hera, first you send over a couple of witches while the child is being born. And if that doesn’t work you put a couple of snakes in the child’s cradle.
But Alcmene was no slouch. She knew of Hera’s reputation and had her servants trick the witches. It was her infant child who took care of the snakes, strangling them in his crib.
Don’t bite the nipple that feeds you, you’ll see stars
Alcmene was very concerned for her child’s safety at this point. The situation felt hopeless, but she knew that her son was destined for greatness. She decided to put her faith in the gods hands and brought her son to the woods for her own safety.
It was in the woods that the baby was found by none other than the goddess Athena. Fortunately she had a plan to protect the baby and maybe knock Hera down a notch for her often outrageous and Godzilla behaviour.
She brought the baby to Mount Olympus and gave him to Hera, but told him he was an orphan who needed nourishment. Not knowing the true identity of our hero, Hera allowed him to suckle from her breast. That is until he bit her nipple.
Of course, this caused a great tantrum from Hera, again. She pushed the baby away and her milk fell across the sky. That’s how the Milky Way was formed! Don’t cry over spilt milk. Just look at it in awe.



Milk. It does the Body Good.
Hera then demanded that Athena take back the child who had attacked her. Still not knowing who the baby really was. Athena fed the child, hoping to gain favour with Zeus and teach her frenemy Hera a lesson. Fortunately for the baby, this further imbued the baby with strength, wisdom and power.
That’s a good thing, because the baby would need all the strength and power he could get, for his name was Hercules, and Hera was just getting started with him.
Next week on ‘As the pottery Wheel Turns’
Join us for an inside exclusive special edition on goddess, socialite and icon Hera. She’s wealthy beyond imagination, beautiful and arguably one of the most powerful gods on Olympus. We’ll follow her trail of tantrums and tears for an inside peak into the mind of an often foiled mistress of revenge.
What did you think of this week’s raku pottery vase and story? Let me know in the comments below.

You decide!
August 21, 2020
NASA Discovers New Planet
The NovaScotia Alchemical Society of Astroexploration (NASA) has confirmed the discovery of a new planet. More information about this planet will be released soon!

Travel restrictions bringing you down? Join us every Friday when we will bring new worlds to you. You can see another one of our planetoid spheres here!
Wishing all of you a wonderful weekend full of good things!
Once we hit 500 newsletter subscribers, we will be drawing for two prizes that will include a copy of our book ‘A Potters Dream: Myths & Legends’ an art print and piece of jewelry for one of the lucky winners. You can subscribe to our Newsletter by clicking here.
We have reached our previous goal of 300 subscribers and will be announcing the winner of that prize in the newsletter in the coming weeks!
Don’t worry, if you are already a subscriber, you are automatically entered. Share on Twitter or Facebook to help the draw come even sooner!