Jay Jasper's Blog, page 94

Vase In Focus – Doris

Doris – $ 124
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Mugshot Monday

“I like my coffee like I like myself:
strong, sweet, and too hot for you.” 

– Jac Vanek Mug 10 $35

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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.

The Time Isn’t The Only Thing Changing! Now You Can Win Even More!

We are doing one BIG give away this year!

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 Have added our next item! If you can’t wait, there is a similar mug for sale hereThis mug is joining the little turtle!

The pot gets sweeter and sweeter it could be yours!

Sign up for our newsletter today for your chance, and you could win this gift basket, with which your help will be full of great items!

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.

This Week At The Studio In Photos

Frozen waterfalls all along the cliffs at the beach A waterfall on the cliff face that was blown up by the ocean wind!This mug was added to the ongoing pottery gift basket that you could win!

Can’t wait? Get your own mug here. The forest shadows are getting shorter as we approach springThat’s been the week here.

How’s your week been?

He was her world. But his wife wouldn’t stop having babies. Here’s what he did. (Spoiler – It Back-fired)

We’ve shared the story of the raku pottery vase – ‘Gaia’s Revenge‘ – and a time before the gods, when Gaia had to teach her husband a lesson, which you can read here.

But every story has two sides.

And today, we hear from the man god behind the Gaia, Uranus.

‘Tears of Uranus‘, tells the tale of young love, fertility rites gone wrong, a celestial nursery built on chaos, an old God who gave it all up for revenge and proof positive that the first cut was indeed the deepest.

Uranus used to love the feel

Of Gaia’s cool porcelain-like skin when she’d whisper softly in his ear. It’d always kind of given him a little jolt, and if truth be told he rather liked it. But it was always the same thing. Ace of Base said it better than Uranus could in their sophomoric social commentary doubling as a song. The kind of catchy tune radio stations would over play much to the frustration of all.

Uranus had actually remembered their early courtship with much fondness. In the early days when they were busy creating The Titans together, he looked forward to her nightly visits. As many a new father, he was reluctant. His duties of father of the sky and heavens kept him rather distant which also complicated matters. But those Titans were healthy looking children and he did not mind so much looking after them. But things were about to change.

Tears Of Uranus $ 188

He was literally the sky and heavens and was responsible for regulating all the cosmos. Though Chaos was hiding in that too. When Gaia had arrived for her nightly visit, she was interrupting a beautiful meteor shower he was putting on. She still excited him, but it was time. He had to tell her tonight that he had enough with their twelve Titan children. Could they put a hold on making more little Titans? Could he just focus on his career for awhile?

Gaia was able to decidedly answer him yes!

She explained that chaos told her it was bad luck to have thirteen of something. Uranus felt good to know he would have no more children. He was understandably tired after his twelfth, and he also knew there was no way he could resist Gaia. Relationship counselling averted. Which was good, because the only other being they had to go to for help was Chaos, and that would not have ended well.

But you see Gaia had a little secret.

She liked to create, and my she was prolific. While it was true that they would have no more Titan children, she was bored of those kind anyways, what she failed to mention was they may have other types of offspring. The kind of offspring that had one hundred arms and fifty heads. And if that were not enough,there were not one but three of them. Then came the Cyclops!

It was nice his offspring had cool names

But the practicality of childcare and all the irregular requirements of their household soon overwhelmed Uranus. He tried to talk to Gaia about all the gloves and hats needed for their children, and one of the Cyclops needed glasses. Can a Cyclops wear a monocle?

Unfortunately Gaia was less than responsive to his pleas. She was out busy creating new accessories for herself, like oceans, and trees and such things. Maybe she was a little caught up with her latest creation at the time, mushrooms, but you didn’t hear that from me.

Uranus had enough.

He decided to return all of the children to Gaia. His sky palace just wasn’t big enough, and between changing cosmic diapers and meeting the special needs of his children, he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He had grown to dislike his own children so he sent them back to where they came from – Gaia!

A bunch of giants and cyclops wandering around in what some called Tartarus, but Gaia considered her womb, was painful. She no longer had the time to create and she became angry with her husband. She figured he was just being insecure and felt his power was being threatened. He felt he had no power, that he was a mere shadow of his self, and he was intractable about removing the children from Gaia again, because it meant he would have to care for all of these children, for what might be an eternity. No thanks.

Gaia wasn’t going to tolerate the situation for long. She fashioned a sickle and bribed their son Cronus with Uranus’ power to castrate him. With a slice of the sickle Uranus’ testicles and blood hit the Earth many more children would emerge from his final fertile act. Was their no mercy for poor Uranus?

Indeed not.

For it is then that Gaia started her smear campaign against Uranus making him the butt of all jokes. She may have been stuck with all the children, but in the end he got stuck with the crappy end of things.

How did you like our raku pottery vase ‘Tears of Uranus’ and what did you think of our story this week?

And for clarity sake, this vase’s name Tears of Uranus
refers to the salty water that comes out of one’s eye.

Not something else.

Vase In Focus – Pit Firing

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”

― John Lubbock, The Use Of LifePit-Fired Vase 92 – $92
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what do you see?

See more pit-fired vases

Create

Absurdity and anti absurdity are the two poles of creative energy.

– Karl LagerfeldWhat’s more fun than creativity?

Being able to let loose and play can result in some interesting work. The whirlwind of creating new work alone requires being open to ideas as they come and letting the dance lead you.

Parenthood Pendant – $28
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it must then be followed by the ever important process of editing. Without this iteration, the work will not shine in the best way it can.Medicine Wheel Necklace – $28
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This is a process that I use when creating original jewelry, and one that I am always learning more about. Tree of Life Pendant –$28
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In the end – as with so many parts of life – it is about walking the middle path.“I Love Myself” Pendant- $ 30
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What kind of things do you create?

Do you work in a similar way?

You can see more jewelry pieces here

Name That Vase – March 2021

It’s time to share our winner and feature another vase in need of a name! Welcome to my monthly feature – ‘Name that Vase’.

For those who are new to this feature, ‘Name that Vase’ is where you can suggest a name, create a story, poem or prose for this raku pottery vase. Consider this your chance to be inspired, a writing prompt or a creative cue. You can, or if you are feeling nostalgic,that started what has now become a monthly tradition for our blog and readers.

This month we have a very special vase for your naming, but first we must congratulate ’s winner for their name and write-up!

Congratulations!

Kypros

below a cloudless sky
the island shimmers
like a green leaf floating
on an azure sea —
and further down,
beneath the mountain ranges
and the fertile plains,
the heat-hazed salt lake
and the ancient stone remains,
lies rich metallic bounty
that once gave this place its name.

Turquoise Sunrise
SOLDAnd into our new month!

Here is our vase for this month:

Please add what you think the name should be for this month’s vase and any associated poetry or story in the comments below. Looking forward to reading your submissions!

If you have coronavirus on mind (as so many of us do right now) please check out this helpful post, B-B-B Bye Corona, Self-Care In The Time of Pandemic.

On The Wheel Wednesday

Sometimes we may feel small. but there is strength and beauty In humble things. sometimes a shift in perspective can make or break your day. What is something small that you have found strength in ?

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!

Born To Be Wise

Advice from an owl: “stay focused, be who you are, trust in a wise friend, live off the land, glide through the dark times, be observant, because life’s a hoot!“

-Ilan Shamir

The Raku Owl page has been updated with new pictures, and new owls!

Raku Red Green Owl – $75
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Click here to take a look at the new owls!