Jay Jasper's Blog, page 97

This Week At The Studio In Photos

Tulips temporarily set in a newly fired vase (raku does not hold water – best for dried stuff!) A nighttime snowshoe Breakfast with some new friendsA closeup of one of the new vases Laying at the base of an old growth tree and looking up Shadow shared a photo and a poem about their Alchemist’s Studio vase, Apollo’s Song!That’s been the week here.

How’s your week been?

👉 That face when you get a behind-the-scenes look at what is involved In making raku pottery 🤯

A few people have asked me

About the raku process that is used to fire my pottery and vases and I have decided to show you and write about how I create raku pottery.

The process starts with creating a piece on the wheel (or by hand-building).  I love the process of making things on the wheel and find there is a certain zen feeling that washes over me.

Throwing pottery on the wheel is a tonic for the soul!After a pot is thrown or handbuilt

It must dry to prevent explosions in the kiln when it is bisque fired.  Once it has had time to dry it is bisque fired.  This makes for more stable handling of the piece when glazing and makes it easier for the piece to withstand the rigours of raku.

Once the bisque firing is done, the magic of raku begins!  Pottery pieces are cleaned and glazed and prepared for their final firing and the flames of raku.

The effects of raku are magical!One of the glazes being prepared.Glazed raku pottery vase prior to firing.

The components of the glaze are one of the main variables that help determine the effects you get from a raku firing!  Glaze can be brushed on a pottery piece, or a piece can be dipped into glaze.

Once the glaze has completely dried, it is ready to go in the kiln. 

We use an electric kiln for our raku firings.  There are specialized raku kilns you can buy, but they cost a small fortune!

Our ancient electric pottery kiln from the 70’s!Kiln is loaded with glazed pieces!Raku allows for effects you just can’t get with conventional pottery firing techniques.

Once the kiln is loaded, it is heated to the determined temperature for the raku firing.  This is another variable that helps determine the effect of the glaze.

Reduction bins are prepared with organic material which also has an impact on the finish of the raku pottery.  

Once the kiln has reached temperature, the real adventure begins! 

Safety googles and gloves are put on, and the raku tongs are at the ready. 

If you are attempting this at home, please note this is not a comprehensive guide, and there are real safety issues to be considered, depending on your set up.

This is How We Do It (By The Alchemist’s Studio, not Montell Jordan)

As you can see from the video, red hot pots are transferred from the kiln into the reduction material with metal tongs.  Note that prior to this, the kiln is shut off (no shocking experiences for me of the tongs touching any of the metal coils within the kiln!) I sometimes add additional reduction material. 

Once all pots are placed in the reduction bin, a lid is added. 

We also use upside-down pots.  The goal is to create a ‘reduction’ environment where there is no oxygen.  This happens if you have sealed your bin well, as the organic material burns off the oxygen in the container.

From the fire to a bath.Bath time at the pottery!‘Make it Work’

Once the raku pottery is removed from the reduction bin, it can still be quite hot.  It is placed in water to help cool the piece.  During the reduction process pottery pieces often get covered in soot and must be scrubbed.  Pieces are also placed back in the kiln after being cleaned to help set the colours.

‘Draught of Piece”Cybele 65Homer’s OdysseyThis is how we make our raku pottery! 

Do you think the raku effects are worth the extra effort? 
Which is your favourite effect below? 

You can see more raku effects by clicking here.

She Saw The Beginning, She Saw The End, But She Didn’t See This

This weeks raku pottery vase is called ‘Völuspá‘ and tells the tale from the dawn of creation to the end of the world, of an oracle known as a volva, who saw it all, and her audience with Odin, the god of wisdom, poetry, death, magic and divination.

$148
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If you are a god of poetry, magic and divination

And a volva/seeress tempts you with ancient and future knowledge, you’d be sure to grant her an audience and see her. That’s just what Odin did.

How could he resist after the seeress flaunted that she was raised by giants.

It certainly seemed like she was a big deal.

The seeress related the creation myth of the Earth, and the appearance of Ymir, a primeval being, whom the gods, including Odin would make the Earth from. His body would become the Earth itself, his blood the oceans, and his brains the clouds. It seems that our friend Ymir that we are walking all over was a bit of an airhead.

And for that we should all be grateful- since essentially we live on them. Close-up of Völuspá. She sure looks primordial soupy!We humans often think we are a big deal

But just as a reminder of how small we really are in the grand scheme of things, we came after the gods, the giants, various other mythical beasts and the dwarves.

Seers for Tears

The seeress then went on to tell the tale of the Yggdrasil, which some of our readers who’ve been with us for awhile, or anyone who has purchased our book, cough cough, may remember this piece.

You can see more photos of this delicate piece that defied the odds and survived a raku firing and read the story of this mythical tree here.

YggdrasilThe seeress then goes on

To speak of Ragnarok – the end of the world – where all the gods meet their end. Including Odin.

That’s what you get Odin for your giant sized curiosity and being charmed by a volva!

But fear not!

After Ragnarok, a new world is born, more abundant then ever.

Thus the cycle continues. $148
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What did you think of the seeress’ prophecy, and Odin discovering that he too was mortal? And how did you like our latest raku pottery vase? Let us know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful weekend!

Vase In Focus – Io

Don’t have a cow, Human $68
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Get the Full Story.

View more raku vases

Your Personal Invitation to Healing

Life does not stop during these strange times

Though the perspective is surely changing. With the world shifting each day, I am able to see more clearly those things which are truly important to living the life I want.

I am taking this time to reflect on the kind of life best lived for me (don’t worry, pottery is of course in there) and personally, helping with healing is part of that best-lived-life.

In 2019

I was contemplating how I might integrate my own healing into my artistic process and how I might involve and possibly help others with their healing. After contemplating this for sometime, I came up with the concept for ‘The Healing Vase’.

My concept is to allow the process of raku and the flames of the reduction process to act as a healing tonic for grief and pain, for myself, for our world, and for all who to choose to participate in this process collectively.

The Healing VaseI would like to extend an invitation to you

Join the Healing Vase project for 2021.

I would love your participation in healing together. I welcome you to

Visit the project page and add your Wishes for Healing for the current year.

Thank you and I hope you are keeping safe and well in this time of increased difficulty.

Namaste,

The Alchemist

Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for updates and announcements related to this project.

Setting The World Ablaze For Pit-Fired Pottery!

Pit firing is the first method that humans 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, pit-fired pottery makes a welcome gift for someone who likes unique and eclectic one of a kind pieces that are worth beholding. (Perhaps you!)

From now until March 1st you can pick a pit-fired vase up for 10% off!

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.

$98
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See more pit-fired vases hereLooking 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!

What in Zeus’ name is The Alchemist’s Studio anyway?!?

We are very excited to share a video with you that we’ve created as a very short promotional piece to highlight our process and work! We have also added this video to the front page of our website

If you have a spare minute and change, you can see the video below, or better yet check us out on youtube and subscribe to our channel! I would love to hear your impressions and thoughts on this video!

Thanks for reading, and maybe watching!

“Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter.” – Yoda

Yoda has many great quotes on a number of topics

But I find there is always something deeper to what he is saying. In celebration of Yoda and all that I have learned from him, I have created these Yoda pendants.

Tattooine Yoda Pendant
$28
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Intergalactic Yoda Pendant
$28
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Chromium Yoda Pendant
$28
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You can get one now for $28 including shipping or at least until they head off to a galaxy far far away! Do or do not, there is no try (but DO send an email to us if you have questions).

Stay up to date on all of our creations, project, exhibits and special offers by joining our community and subscribing to our newsletter here.

A ‘Great Pottery Gift Basket’ For You

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 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.

On The Wheel Wednesday

reaching for the cosmos from the wet dark earth. we grow and smooth out our rough edges over time. Forming our intentions for ourself, and our life. these small changes over time, bit by bit make us the beautiful unique beings we are. What is something unique about yourself that sparks joy in others? Let us know in the comments below and Share the joy!

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!