New Videos Added to INTERNATIONAL VIDEOS I have uploaded videos of Kim Yong Moon and Park Soon Kwan working in my studio and at De Anza College here in California in March and April 2009.

Korean Potters Kim Yong Moon and Park Soon Kwan have been visiting for two weeks. They have made many pieces using traditional Korean techniques.

The website has been updated and refreshed. Please enjoy the new images added to many pages and the Flash images on the home page. Other pages have been reorganized and refreshed with a new color scheme.

Korean Potters will visit February 26-March 11

Kim Yong Moon (pictured) and Park Soon Kwan will visit and work in my studio. They are excellent potters who create both very traditional pottery and more contemporary work. Local artists and pottery lovers are welcome to come and visit, just call me first at 650.851.0295

My work entitled “Sunflower 2007” has been acquired by The Ceramics Collection of the Olympic City of Maroussi. Athens, Greece.

My work is featured in the new book “Selections of Ceramic Art From International Masters” published by the 2008 International Ceramic Forum in Zibo, China.

Finally, I am founding member and North American Chair of the newly established International Ceramic Artists Association.

Solar Powered! My Bailey front-loading electric kiln is now solar powered. These solar panels, mounted on the roof, generate 30 kWh per day, enough energy to power a typical firing.

This article recently appeared in the Goshogwara newspaper Too Nippo. In addition to interviewing me about the Woodfire Festival in Goshogawara, the article describes my “struggle” to make this new form. I do not recall saying “struggling”, but I did describe how the great throwing properties of Kanayama clay allow me to try new things.

The International Woodfire Festival ends today. We have fired three kilns and made many pieces. As new friends, we now return to our home countries with new ideas and perspectives.

We are now busy making work for our first firing next week. Here Lee adds black slip over a textured globe vase. See more images posted. Go to menu item INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOPS, then click on Goshogawara International Woodfire Festival – Japan 2008

The Goshogawara Woodfire Festival is in full swing. To see the artists and the activities go the website menu and click on INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOPS, then select Goshogawara International Woodfire Festival – Japan 2008

I will be participating in the Goshogawara International Woodfire Festival in Aomori, JAPAN. The festival will be held from July 1 to July 31, 2008. Artists from Japan, Korea, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Belgium, Romania, Uganda, Malaysia, Australia, USA, and Canada are participating. We plan to exchange techniques and share presentations about our work and ceramic activities in our native countries. Work made by the artists will be sold at Kanayama to support future festivals.

We will be firing noborigama, Hai Kabur, and Olsen cross-fire kilns during the month.

The participants for 2008 included:

Japan – Ryoji Matsumiya, Risako Noro, and Toru Chubachi
Belgium – Joelle Swanet
Canada – Lauren MacLean
USA – Lee Middleman, John Baymore
Turkey – Sevim Cizer
Pakistan – Raania Azam Khan Durrani
Australia – Rowley Drysdale
Malaysia – Yeow Seng Cheah
Uganda – Vicent Nsubuga
Romania – Ciprian Ariciu
Korea – Kang Hwa-Su, Ryu Nan-ho, Kim Se-ｗha
India – Meyyavelar Rengasamy, Ramiah Thangiah

After July 1, to see photos of the festival in progress, go to the menu bar, click on International Festivals, and select:

Goshogawara International Woodfire Festival – Japan 2008

My work “Sunflower – Desert Series 2007” has been selected by juror Judith Schwartz for the “Feats of Clay XXI 2008” exhibition at the Lincoln Arts & Cultural Foundation in Lincoln CA. The work was one of 80 selected from a field of 1100 entries by 500 artists. The national exhibition of contemporary ceramic art is held annually at the Gladding, McBean Terra Cotta Factory. The exhibition will run from April 26 to May 25.

Jihye begins to decorate her birds. These are initially thrown on the wheel and then altered. We held an open house today after our first glaze firing. Friends, artists, neighbors, customers, and students stopped by. We had a great time.

Su Cheon is explains the construction of a horse sculpture vase to Yonsoo Chung at during a workshop DeAnza College.

Myung, Jihye and Lee, Su Cheon are two Korean ceramic artists visiting and working in my studio for two weeks. We originally met at the Macsabal (natural rice bowl) Ceramic Festival in 2004 in Korea. Their work includes dinnerware, traditional folk ceramics and contemporary sculptural work. Here is a photo of Jihye working.

Two of my works have been selected for the Clay & Ink 34 exhibition at the Kellogg University Art Gallery at Cal Poly University in Pomona. The works, “Pine Globe” and “Wings” (show here), are among 128 works selected from 650 entries. The exhibition will run from March 20 to May 3.

The Sophia Project Gala is my next exhibition in the US. It takes place at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco on May 2 and 3. Friday is a special event by invitation only, while Saturday is open free to the public from 10am to 3pm. Valet parking available.

Sophia Project is a non-profit organization in West Oakland offering programs for children and mothers who are homeless, or at risk of being homeless.

My Open Studio is set for Saturday & Sunday, December 8 & 9. I will be displaying new textures and new colors. The vessel shown here uses my new “coral” texture highlighted by double glazing.

My work has been selected for the ACGA Holiday Exhibition & Sale, November 2 to December 23. This will be held at the Art Object Gallery, 592 North 5th Street, San Jose,CA. See my latest work and the work of many fine artists.

We harvested the grapes for wine making today. We should get about 1100 bottles for the 2007 vintage. In about two years time.

We have added new features to the website. The images in “International Workshops” and my “Artist’s Portfolio” can now be viewed as slide shows. Just click on the “slideshow” button to the left of the images on these pages, sit back, and enjoy the show.

Videos are now available in the “About” and “International Workshops” menus. All of the “International Workshops” videos can also be selected and viewed by clicking on the “video” button on the left of any workshop page. Or you can view individual videos by looking for the “video” button below the caption of some images. Your feedback is welcome.

Recently in Korea, I met Yoon Hee Jang, the editor of “Monthly Ceramic Art.” The journal is very high quality ceramics journal. Ms. Jang is very intrigued by ACGA and the Palo Alto Festival. After sending her additional information and images, she wrote this article now appearing in the September issue.

My work has been selected to be exhibited in “Contemporary International Masters of Ceramic Art” (October 18 to 22, 2007). The exhibition takes place in Jingdezhen, China during the Jingdezhen International Ceramic Fair. The exhibition is sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of State Commerce and Chinese National Ceramics Association. A catalog of the exhibition will be printed and distributed.

My ceramic piece “Sunflower – Desert Series 4” is pictured in the new book Best of American Pottery & Woodworking Artists, Volume 1. It can be seen on page 35.

I have just returned from the Artists-in-Residence Program at Tsugaru Kanayama Studios in Goshogawara Japan. It was a great opportunity to fire four different woodfire kilns and to further develop my work. You can view my activities and work during this one-month program by going to “Past Festivals” in the menu and selecting “Goshogawara International Woodfire Festival – Japan 2007”

This bottle vase was firing in a “tumble stack” in the Hai Kaburi (heavy ash-covering) kiln. It has wonderful drips of melted ash glaze and crusty ash deposits.

Before I leave for the artist-in-residence program in Aomori, Japan, I will be exhibiting my work at the Palo Alto Clay & Glass Festival on Saturday & Sunday, July 8 & 9. This is a wonderful outdoor park venue in at The Palo Alto Art Center off Embarcadero Road at Newell. Nearly 180 juried ceramic and glass artists will be exhibiting their work. Come to visit and see everything you can imagine.

My work shown in the ACGA exhibition entitled, “Follow the Line: Traditions Revealed by ACGA Artists” at the Pence Gallery in Davis, California from April 27 to June 10 has sold out. This exhibition was juried by Robert Brady. He selected three of my works: “Wings,” “Chain Vase,” and “Pine Globe” for the show. The postcard here shows a portion of “Pine Globe.” Can you find it?

Following the Macsabal Festival in Osan, I spent several days near Deagu visiting and working with my good friends Lee Bock Kyou and Tae Sung Yong. I look forward to seeing them next year.

The 10th Annual International Macsabal Festival has ended. We had a great time working together with old and new friends. I have posted additional photos to this International Workshop page. Here you can see a teapot in the woodfire kiln. Now I return home. I was pleased to learn that all on my work in the ACGA exhibition Follow the Line… at the Pence Galley in Davis, California sold.

Today I leave for Osan, Korea to participate in the 10th Anniversary of the International Macsabal Woodfire Festival. Macsabal means “rice bowl” in Korean (see image here), but the ceramic artists attending will be making a wide variety of art. They expect 60 artists including 30 from Korea, 10 from China, 5 from the USA, and others from around the world. Go to “International Workshops” in the menu above and scroll down to this Festival in Osan to see images from the event as it happens.

My next “Open Studio” is scheduled for Saturday & Sunday, May 5 & 6, 10am to 5pm. Come see my newest work influenced by my visit to Zibo, China last February. “Flames”, the vase shown here is 9″ dia. x 12″ tall.

ACGA (The Association of Clay and Glass Artist) is producing a new poster. My work “Sunflower” was selected to appear with the work of ten ACGA artists. The poster will be used to promote our annual show in Palo Alto and to promote our 500 member organization. I am pleased to represent ACGA.

My work has been selected for the ACGA exhibition entitled, “Follow the Line: Traditions Revealed by ACGA Artists” at the Pence Gallery in Davis, California from April 27 to June 10. This exhibition was juried by Robert Brady. He selected three of my works: “Wings,” “Chain Vase,” and “Pine Globe” for the show. The postcard here shows a portion of “Pine Globe.” Can you find it?

Welcome to the newest feature on my website, “What’s New.”

Here I will occasionally post the latest photos, current items related to my work, and other ceramic interest items.

This is the invitation related to my next exhibition in San Francisco, the Sophia Project Gala, scheduled for April. I will be showing my latest work developed after my recent trip to China.

I recently completely updated the Japanese website for the Goshogama International Woodfire Festival, Japan. http://www.makigama.org This new site describes the Artist-in-Residence Program at the Tsugaru Kanayama Pottery (津軽金山焼) in Goshogawara, Aomori, Japan with recent photos and future plans. You can view their plans for 2007.