Robert Fornell Ceramics

Artisans share their Teaware Art.


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Oct 24th, '09, 15:30
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Re: Robert Fornell (Ronin Ceramurai) Chadogu

by Robert Fornell » Oct 24th, '09, 15:30

love the 'hagi' look !
Thanks Cory!

Maybe one of these days Chip will do a "Special Offer" of "Seattle Hagi".... helps keep the foreign trade deficit down as well as providing jobs here in the good ol' U S of A too!!! A story for Lou Dobbs perhaps? :lol:

Cheers,
R


I'm currently in the process of posting a variety of work on Etsy...... Thanks for looking and yoroshiku!

http://www.robertfornell.etsy.com
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Oct 24th, '09, 16:29
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Re: Robert Fornell (Ronin Ceramurai) Chadogu

by woozl » Oct 24th, '09, 16:29

Woot.
Very impressive pieces Robert.
All your work seems to have an energy, or balanced sense of tension,
like a flute of champagne sparkling away.....

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Oct 24th, '09, 16:31
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Re: Robert Fornell (Ronin Ceramurai) Chadogu

by Chip » Oct 24th, '09, 16:31

ronin ceramurai wrote:
love the 'hagi' look !
Thanks Cory!

Maybe one of these days Chip will do a "Special Offer" of "Seattle Hagi".... helps keep the foreign trade deficit down as well as providing jobs here in the good ol' U S of A too!!! A story for Lou Dobbs perhaps? :lol:I'm currently in the process of posting a variety of work on Etsy...... Thanks for looking and yoroshiku!

http://www.robertfornell.etsy.com
Yes, I need to work on this, we started talking about it, then life happened ... 8)

Til then I try to do my share, I have teaware from at least 5 or 6 of our TeawareArtisans plus a few other domestics I would love to see join TA.

Great works!!!!! Hope to pick up some of your works very soon.

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Oct 24th, '09, 18:33
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Re: Robert Fornell (Ronin Ceramurai) Chadogu

by Smells_Familiar » Oct 24th, '09, 18:33

Beautiful pieces Rob!

I'm so impressed with the variety of your work.

I agree with woozl, there is sense of balanced tension in many of your pieces, and it is expressed so naturally. You are a master of contrast, giving these forms such wonderful dynamic expressiveness. It's almost as if your work is alive. Each piece reminds me of a different piece of our beautiful, and sometimes terrifying, physical world.

love it!

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Oct 24th, '09, 19:21
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Re: Robert Fornell (Ronin Ceramurai) Chadogu

by Robert Fornell » Oct 24th, '09, 19:21

Thank you Woozl, Chip, and Adam for your support and comments...... much appreciated!

Til then I try to do my share, I have teaware from at least 5 or 6 of our TeawareArtisans plus a few other domestics I would love to see join TA.

All craftspeople/potters always appreciate and are grateful for the support of their respective buyers and collectors whether or not if they're doing it as a hobby/avocation as many people do, or as a profession.

Best wishes,
R
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Oct 24th, '09, 23:22
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Re: Robert Fornell (Ronin Ceramurai) Chadogu

by bonjiri » Oct 24th, '09, 23:22

ronin ceramurai wrote:
love the 'hagi' look !
Thanks Cory!

Maybe one of these days Chip will do a "Special Offer" of "Seattle Hagi".... helps keep the foreign trade deficit down as well as providing jobs here in the good ol' U S of A too!!! A story for Lou Dobbs perhaps? :lol:

Cheers,
R


I'm currently in the process of posting a variety of work on Etsy...... Thanks for looking and yoroshiku!

http://www.robertfornell.etsy.com

robert

aloha

enjoying this karatsu/korean looking yunomi !

hehe. nakazato (takashi) sensei cruises thru hawaii sometimes too !

cheers

enjoying your wonderful work !

aloha. today fired soda kama. open monday. wish us luck !

did cooling reduction at end.

cheers
kampai !
cory

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Oct 26th, '09, 12:42
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Re: Robert Fornell (Ronin Ceramurai) Chadogu

by lucienkoonce » Oct 26th, '09, 12:42

hi robert...i noticed on your website a "Black Shino Kurojino Guinomi/Sake Cup" that had gold leaf over filled kiln scars. i have seen other japanese tea vessels with gold leaf. can you give me some background on this practice? thanks.

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Oct 26th, '09, 19:21
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Re: Robert Fornell (Ronin Ceramurai) Chadogu

by Robert Fornell » Oct 26th, '09, 19:21

Hi Lucien,

Thanks for the question......

The technique is called kintsugi, literally "to apply/attach gold" and traditionally the chips or cracks were filled with layers of urushi, Japanese lacquer, with the final coat leafed with gold or sprinkled with gold powder before the urushi sets up.

Now a days, epoxy putty is typically applied and sanded to form after which comes a sizing to apply/adhere the leaf with. After the gold is applied, a clear coat of lacquer is applied to seal it.

This off wikipedia.....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintsugi

And this at the Freer.... looks interesting! http://www.asia.si.edu/exhibitions/curr ... nSeams.htm#

Cheers,
R


Image from Freer Show......
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Oct 26th, '09, 19:52
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Re: Robert Fornell (Ronin Ceramurai) Chadogu

by shyrabbit » Oct 26th, '09, 19:52

One of the components of the Japanese Lacquer is poison sumac. I researched this subject several years ago, and found that the art of kintsugi is slowly going away. Museums and collectors are having a hard time finding master of the technique still working. It takes many years to develop a resistance to the sumac sap. Sumac will cause effects, more or less similar to poison oak or ivy. There seems to be few younger people willing to carry on the tradition, too many less than traditional materials, that can be substituted.

Traditionally the gold would have been powdered and no sealers would have been used. The use of epoxy and composite metal leafs (not gold) might be the reason for the need to seal.
Michael

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Oct 26th, '09, 22:09
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Re: Robert Fornell (Ronin Ceramurai) Chadogu

by lucienkoonce » Oct 26th, '09, 22:09

thanks, robert, for the information. ~lucien

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Oct 26th, '09, 22:30
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Re: Robert Fornell (Ronin Ceramurai) Chadogu

by Robert Fornell » Oct 26th, '09, 22:30

Sumac will cause effects, more or less similar to poison oak or ivy. There seems to be few younger people willing to carry on the tradition, too many less than traditional materials, that can be substituted.
The fact of skin issues related to urushi is quite well know in Japan, however with the collapse of the "lifetime"employment system and the advent of more an American style system of temps and part timers, read no benefits, many younger folks are turning to work which they feel is "real" ie. the crafts. This is similar to the recent boom in minka (traditional Japanese farm houses) restoration, this, coupled with the fact that many smaller towns have suffered from an exodus of younger people are now providing free or low cost housing to folks who are interested in settling there and carrying on a tradition. There has been a sea change concerning how folks want to/choose to live which I predict will wash ashore here in the near future. For a number of reasons over the past 10 years or so, I've thought, if you want to see the future, look at Japan. However, the 21st century is China's most likely.......
Traditionally the gold would have been powdered and no sealers would have been used. The use of epoxy and composite metal leafs (not gold) might be the reason for the need to seal.
See above, "Now a days........."

Apologies for rambling on.....
R

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Oct 26th, '09, 23:48
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Re: Robert Fornell (Ronin Ceramurai) Chadogu

by JBaymore » Oct 26th, '09, 23:48

There is a synthetic, non-allergen "fake" urushi (from Japan) called "Cashew". US and other non-Japanese katana swordmakers often use it for finishing the wooden saya (sheath). I've been looking at trying it out for a number of teaware pottery related finishing uses, including this one. It is about $50-60 for a pint, plus shipping.

Real urushi resin cannot be imported into the USA.....I've looked into it. In Japan one of my good potter friends has a friend that is a seriously good urushi artist. I've visited his workshop. Man...... I thought pottery took patience :shock: . Urushi work is crazy! He does Tsugaru style urushi..... with the wild patterning. Stunning.

Personally, I don't like the idea of using the sealing overcoat on the gold. Seems to me to be way too fragile.

best,

..............john

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Oct 27th, '09, 00:53
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Re: Robert Fornell (Ronin Ceramurai) Chadogu

by Robert Fornell » Oct 27th, '09, 00:53

If you're in Japan this is not to be missed.......

An awesome show by a giant of Momoyama revivalist potters, even though it was his avocation, who's work and philosophy was simply without rival.

http://www.cpm-gifu.jp/museum/english/t ... index.html

Best,
R

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Oct 27th, '09, 02:23
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Re: Robert Fornell (Ronin Ceramurai) Chadogu

by Tead Off » Oct 27th, '09, 02:23

JBaymore wrote:Man...... I thought pottery took patience :shock: . Urushi work is crazy!
You can say that again. Last year, over the Holidays, I was in Burma, and went to visit Pagan, a most incredible place. This also happens to be one of the main centers for lacquer wares. We visited a workshop and I got to see the process first hand. In Burma, they use woven bamboo as a foundation, not wood. They the careful application of one coat after another, allowing each coat to dry before any decorative work is done. The better items have 18 coats of lacquer and then the various colors they use to illustrate the design which are often carved into the surface showing the prior layers of color. Lots of work, sometimes months to produce a piece.

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Oct 31st, '09, 03:37
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Re: Robert Fornell (Ronin Ceramurai) Chadogu

by Robert Fornell » Oct 31st, '09, 03:37

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTPFHoGPLqo

So real.......... full of nuance, finished yet not.

R

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