The basic idea of creating a selection of my own works comes and goes for many years. I know that many potters have the same dilemma: Should I offer my "best of" pieces to my customers or should I keep them for myself? I create teaware in order to serve to people during their tea-moments, so why to keep those best for myself? On the other hand it is important to have collection of older works at home. At least a smaller one. As inspiration, as presentation, as motivation... By creating this "Ten Gems of Ten Kilns" open collection I would like to solve this dilemma.
What are the rules here? From every kiln I will fire, I am going to choose one Gem. One pieces of tea ware which I will find as the right one. As every kiln is mixture of faults and successes it is usually not easy to say what is the best. So as The Gem is going to be chosen the piece which will be somehow special and will properly enhance the selection. As I am not collector, I am not going to keep those "gems" forever. After ten kilns the selection will be complete but not closed. With eleventh kiln the one of The Ten will be replaced. The older piece of teaware will go to find its new master and its first opportunity to serve. The new Gem will be here with me and via pictures with you as a part of the selection. For more pictures of this selection please visit this picasa album. I am going to hold the whole project under new page of this bolg.
Gem number one: Frozen waterfall
Unloaded from kiln on March 3. 2012. Teapot made from iron rich, stoneware clay and glazed inside and partly outside by Nuka glaze (wood ash, silica, feldspar). It can hold 230ml.
Gem number two: Thaw pond
Unloaded from kiln on March 12. 2012. Double lidded tea caddy made from iron rich, stoneware clay and glazed with Nuka glaze (wood ash, silica, feldspar). It can hold 240ml.
After the next firing you can expect a new gem to our necklace.
All comments here are more then welcome!
Thank you for reading!
What a fantastic idea Petr! Look forward to seeing the magnificent 10 get together... and will be eagerly lining up in queue to be a proud caretaker of one of the pieces... when they are retired from duty as a gem of course :)
ReplyDeleteWow that tea caddy is simply beautiful... I may have to commission one from you when I have the money, haha! If only my birthday would come around soon enough....
ReplyDeleteGreat idea, I really love Gem#1 : fantastic teapot !
ReplyDeletepetr, those are very nice items indeed! looking forward to see more of your "gems" :)
ReplyDeleteDavid
Thank you all for your comments and nice words. With such support it will be easier to keep the project going. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI was just wondering what if there will be not Gem in the kiln? I gues will just have to choose whatever and make some Photoshop job...ha ha ha
Look forward to another Gem by myself.
Spring is already also here, enjoy this time anywhere...
Best
Petr
Spring is already aslo here, enjoy this time anywhere...
Best
Petr
The jar is exactly the thing, that i am looking for. Maybe with a little different shape of the cap. But this one is really fascinating. The shape is good, but the colour is brilliant, the game that all colours play together is wonderful. L.
ReplyDeletebeautifull Petr
ReplyDeletemay your present gems be the standards of tomorrow.
LL - I am glad that you like it. Thanks for stopping by...
ReplyDeleteMichel- Honour...You probably know it from your own live with clay and fire- Sometime when looking back we are supriced, astonished, humbled
Best
Petr
Petře, nádhera obojí. Dokonalé. U nás jste absolutní jednička!
ReplyDelete(Brzy budu troufalá a opovážím se Vám napsat na mail ...)
Hi,
ReplyDeleteNice to view your work again. I had read of you last year on Steespter.com. I replied to a comment saying I might make a purchase and how your work was rough cut; but you gloss them as well I see. Thank you for sharing. I will try to remember to mention you in my tea blog then. I am trying to maintain two blogs and neither are any good. Oh well bye.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteWhen not depressed or overwhelmed I read these blogs. So lovely and lots of talent and care; my world is shrunken so much so that I am invisible it seems.
I messed up on blog by deleting it when trying to established a link; so I had to duplicate the blog as best as I could; notes are clear but remembering which photo goes where when there are so many...kind of dumb.
I opted to include my charity activities in my blog and folks were not pleased, but who are they since I have no one to read or view it. I speak to myself.
I did include the Patty-Squashed pumkin theme on my tea blog with photos and all. I think it worked out quite well. You should view it when not making fun of my ethnicity. Living is hellish for something those born have no control over. It is already established and against you yet woman decides to soldier on and have child; and at some point child must grow up and either repeat or make better what could not possibly have been.
Talent in us all; yet it is those looking the part that are counted, not having to do a thing. simply looking or being in the right place.
Stay seated/grounded in your beliefs.
I just saw this: http://www.darjeeling.cz/_files/image/2012_NOVAK/PETR_NOVAK_RIJEN_2012/KjusuSet_kura/KjusuSKura_fPrime.JPG - just wanted to say that at least from the aesthetical point of view, it seems like a masterpiece to me too. Pure beauty. I think that this style is particularly awesome when one drinks in nature and "usual" pots seem not to fit there too well.
ReplyDeleteAll the best!
Jakub