Jay Jasper's Blog, page 30

I Want You To Be Happy

that’s it! Smile! Have an amazing day!

Hoo Doesn’t Love Owls?!

owl have to resist the temptation

For a free-for-owl of puns as I share this white owl!

Though a pun party can be a real hoot . . .

I’m talon you, this piece is a real beauty

I love the crispness of the white owl and the subtlety of all the cracks juxtaposed with the darker more pronounced cracks on the face that almost jump out at you.

The raku gods weren’t
winging it with this one! White Owl
$75
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What do you think of this raku owl joining the parliament (group of owls – how fun!)?

Do you give a hoot? Or did I ruffle too many feathers with owl the puns?

Let us know in the comments below and add a pun of your own if you like!

You can check out more of our owls that we have available here.

Spring Among The Trees

With spring soon on it’s way, I am looking forward to seeing buds coming on the trees and the birds returning.

It won’t be long now! Pussywillows from last springWhen thinking of cycles of spring
and rebirth,
the Tree of Life always comes to mind.

The tree of life is prevalent in the mythologies of the world. It is considered to be a symbol of creation and interconnectedness. Common roots of our world family can be found in this concept, and not just in some far off ancient texts.

For my first solo art exhibition, ‘Myth of Family’, I created a sculptural piece honouring this mystical tree.

Raku Sculpture – Tree of Life

It is a theme I like to explore in my work. You may recall a previous work I did by this name, which is now one of the windows in my studio.

‘Tree of Life’ – Beach Glass Window

The world needs trees. It is a delicate balance of interconnected organisms on a scale that I feel is beyond our imagining. Living beings on this planet, including microbes, fungi and plants work together in unexpected ways.

Perhaps people are not unlike this too. Why would we be an exception? The choices I make here may have a ripple effect, more prominently on those closest, but ripples can reach out far and wide.

I do believe we are all interconnected in ways we can not understand. and Spring always reminds me of this fact.

The Tree of Life, and many other artworks are explored in depth in my book A Potter’s Dream: Myths & Legends. The book collects stories across cultures and centuries, adapting them to my pottery with wit, love, compassion and joy. “A Potter’s Dream: Myths and Legends” is a decidedly modern take on the traditional topics of pottery, healing, community – and what it means to be human – all interwoven with the magic of raku and stunning pottery. It is available here.

What do you most love about spring?

You can stay up to date on all of our new creations by
subscribing to our newsletter here.

Marching Into Spring

the saying goes that “March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb”

And today it is -14C with a windchill to -21C so I think we are definitely in the Lion part! Eep!

This frozen waterfall almost looks like a lions mane!As we approach spring, things get easier with the coming warmth of spring. In the interim, More light helps me to move toward it. Interstellar Candle Holder
$68
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These candle holders have found a place of pride in my home to help make these still dark (and definitely still winter!) days a bit less cold and dark.and id like to share them with you White Candle Holder
$48
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Red Candle Holder and Vases
$120
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How do you find march where you are?

Is it coming in like a lion for you as well?

If it resonates, you can view a growing selection of candleholders that are available for purchase for your home. If you are looking for a particular colour, please email us and we can work with you.

Spreading Love & Hope

Today kicks off Universal Human Beings Week.

It is an annual observance commemorated in different parts of the world aimed at reminding us to reset and renew our sense of purpose, key into our true essence and rid ourselves of hardened exteriors. We are also reminded to embrace love and unity, foster human rights promotion, and make the world a better place.

As part of this, I would like to share an invitation to Project Hope.

For this project, I am creating a simple postage-friendly talisman that I can mail out to people who want a little more hope in their lives or want to share some hope in the world.

I will send out one of these clay creations to a person that requests one and an additional 1-3 of them for the receiver to send out to one or a few of their contacts. In this way, together we can send out a little brightness and hope all over the world, bit by bit.

The first talismans are created and we invite you to leave messages of hope to the recipients here.

In time, this page will also include a map, so we can see where in the world hope has been sent (only the city would be used as the location marker on the map)

This project is totally free
to participate in.

I am putting in $100 for postage costs to kick off the project, and may even leave a few of the talismans in various places.

Thank you for reading and joining us in bringing more hope to the world!

Happy Universal Human Beings Week to all Human Beings everywhere!“Open your mind and heal this world, universal love is what it’s all about”

You can subscribe to our newsletter to receive more information in as to how you can participate in Project Hope and receive hope in your mailbox or share hope with others.

Evangeline

“Separated by the Acadian Expulsion, Evangeline and her betrothed would only be reunited in their old age Evangeline – $120
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when Gabriel, who was already very sick, would perish in her arms.”

Read the Full Story of this Vase based on Nova Scotia history and the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Thursday Throwdown February 2022

much less tragically,
Evangeline also won the monthly vase battle Thursday Throwdown 6 times but was finally defeated this last time thanks to your votes!

Mugshot Monday – focus

“I will love the light
for it shows me the way; Cosmic Mug 3
$50
yet I will love the darkness for it shows me the stars.” –Augustine ‘Og’ Mandino,

More mugs can be viewed here.

If you don’t see one for sale in the colour you like,
please contact us and we can work with you directly.

when things are dark,
let’s focus on the light

Wise Words (?)

Some days are hard.

Laughter can help!“I Disappear for years then reappear to cheer about my stick.”– Yoda (Sort of)Intergalactic Yoda Pendant
$28
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What do you like to do
when you need a laugh? I hope your weekend has been kind to you and that you’ve been able to
have a smile and laugh.

Other jewelry pieces are also available here.

If you have questions about a particular piece of jewelry – or any of the work we do – please be sure to get in touch.

This Week At The Studio In Photos

Kale is emerging from the snow! Can’t stop spring! Life Afterlife (still a home for life!) Looking up at lone evergreen at golden hour Fungi in the snow We will soon say goodbye to winter and hello to the colours of spring with Voluspa who is shortly
heading off to her new home (hi Michelle)!Oh yeah!

and Chairman Meow put on a fashion show over on Tik TokAnd That’s been the week here.

How has your week been?

A (Bovine) Sailor Moon

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‘Io‘, tells 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.

The Flies Have It!

Io, a former priestess in the temple dedicated to Hera in Argos had faced unwanted attention from Zeus who was in love with her, and from Hera who punished Io for her husbands attraction by turning her into a beautiful white cow. Hades hath no fury like a goddess scorned.

Bovine Io, unfairly punished, was left to wander through deserts and the world. To make matters worse, Hera had another meltdown when her pet monster Argus was killed by Zeus. So she sent a gadfly to follow Io around and harass her in all the places her tail could not reach. I am sure she would have given anything for a can of raid. Or opposable thumbs to use it.

Prometheus Bound

Io wandered and wandered, growing more and more upset and disoriented. It seems she was afflicted with the original mad cow disease. Eventually she reached the Black Sea and the what is now called the Bosporous, (ox passage) which was named in her honour.

So things were looking up and her situation was about to improve. Being named after one of the most strategic areas in the world was cowtastic.

It was on this leg of her journey that she would meet up with another victim of the gods, Prometheus.

HerA and Stones May break my Bones, But Heroes in Chains Excite Me!

It was when Io was passing Mount Caucasus that hope was restored. There she ran into Prometheus, another toy of the gods, who had been chained to the mountain by none other than Zeus.

It was in this moment, that Prometheus told Io that she would eventually be restored to human form and not give up hope. She would be the ancestress of many powerful figures. Holy Cow!

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(Bovine) Sailor Moon

Io was often associated with the moon by the ancients. The self proclaimed ‘horned virgin’, made her way across the Ionian Sea to Egypt. I guess the original sailor moon may not have been a goddess, but she definitely had bovinity!

It was in Egypt that Zeus finally restored Io to her human form. Her long journey as a wandering cow had finished, but her story and those of her ancestors was just starting. It would take many generation, but one of Io’s descendants would be one of the most famous figures of the ancient world.

What do you think of our
our raku vase and story?

Please let us know in the comments below.

And if you want to read more vase stories,

check out our vase gallery here, it’s full of them!