Robert Fornell Ceramics

[Robert Fornell]

To my second (deepest apologies Seeker) and much valued TC collector,

Your Kurojino chawan went out today and I kindly thank you so very much for your interest in, and support of my work.

Very best wishes,
R

[woozl]

OOOhhhh,
Can't wait to see who scored that.
Chip?
Victoria?
hmmm...

Very nice piece.

[Chip]

Nice ... and not me.

I thought it might be the Woozer.

[Carl]

Beautiful work, Rob...difficulty typing as I'm drooling over the chawan...

You mention part of your artistic philosophy is acting as a facilitator...may I ask where you as an artist stopped in this piece and where the kiln gods took over?

Kind regards,
Carl

[Intuit]

You tried Mt St Helens ash, Robert? I used to own pottery glazed with this ash. Quite iridescent. Suggested recipe and ash fall photos plus map, below. Area potters may still have this ash tucked away, but you can find a thick layer of this ash rather easily in the Yakima Basin and Western Columbia Plateau, if you dig a few feet below surface in a handy depression.

http://www.potters.org/subject09578.htm/
http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs027-00/

I also wondered if you had tried mixing in volcanic pumice. The dark surface on that piece reminds me of tuffa.

Pumice: Fine volcanic particulate expelled from surface vents in a volcanic eruption. HT alkaline flux, similar in composition to potash feldspar, but higher in silica, with at least 1% iron. May be substituted for 7 parts potash spar, 3 parts flint. Toxic in inhalation.

Also happened across this interesting website on cordmarked pottery of southern Plains tribes, about 900 years ago. While it's lowfired with fairy crude clay (yes, that's cow pats used as fuel source in fire pits), the surface effect gives an unusually strong to thin-walled vessels.

http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/villa ... index.html

[Robert Fornell]

Beautiful work, Rob...difficulty typing as I'm drooling over the chawan...

You mention part of your artistic philosophy is acting as a facilitator...may I ask where you as an artist stopped in this piece and where the kiln gods took over?

Kind regards,
Carl

Thank you for your more than generous comments Carl.

If I may share this, I try to create/enable work that is simple on many levels yet complex on others, as after all what can be simpler than a bowl. No lids, spouts, nor handles to hide behind, just material selection, intent, and execution if one can say that when dealing with a raging kiln at the end of the whole thing. Much involves hunches/intuition ie. the look and feel of clay and glaze materials, glaze application, kiln placement, and finally "reading' the fire. As such, for me the chawan is the most difficult piece to "make" as there is an honesty in a good chawan that is undeniable, yet easy to see....... Hopefully a few of my pieces might succeed on this level.

Best wishes,
R

[Robert Fornell]

You tried Mt St Helens ash, Robert? I used to own pottery glazed with this ash. Quite iridescent. Suggested recipe and ash fall photos plus map, below. Area potters may still have this ash tucked away, but you can find a thick layer of this ash rather easily in the Yakima Basin and Western Columbia Plateau, if you dig a few feet below surface in a handy depression.

Thanks Intuit for your, as usual, very informative post.

I haven't tried volcanic ash other than running a few tests a number of years ago and at that time it wasn't what I was looking for...... now it could be. I remember when driving across WA in August of 1980, all of E. WA was coated in the stuff....... surreal.

Cheers,
R

[Seeker]

apologies ?

[Robert Fornell]

apologies ?

Before editing, the post read "To my first and........". Then I remembered my friend Seeker who purchased a chawan from me before I was an active member on this board...... Again my deepest apologies. How are you finding the chawan by the way?

Cheers and enjoy!
R

[Seeker]

I love it! Very much.

Beautiful. Great in my hands. Gorgeous combined with matcha.

I often visit your site in hopes that there will be more too see and consider.

Best to you always, and so glad to find you here.

peace,

Jim (seeker)

ps - hope the building is going as smoothly as possible and you are happy with all the results.

[Robert Fornell]

I love it! Very much.

Beautiful. Great in my hands. Gorgeous combined with matcha.

I often visit your site in hopes that there will be more too see and consider.

Best to you always, and so glad to find you here.

Thank you so much Seeker!


Best wishes,
R

[Robert Fornell]

An Oribe piece from Etsy as well......

Many thanks,
R

[chamekke]

Hi Robert,

I was looking at your main website just now, and discovered that there isn't a functioning link for chaire (Works > Tea ware > Chaire).

Is this a broken link, or are you simply not selling any chaire at the moment?

(I seem to remember seeing some photos of your chaire before, and they were exquisite.)

[Robert Fornell]

Hi Robert,

I was looking at your main website just now, and discovered that there isn't a functioning link for chaire (Works > Tea ware > Chaire).

Is this a broken link, or are you simply not selling any chaire at the moment?

(I seem to remember seeing some photos of your chaire before, and they were exquisite.)

Hello and thank you Chamekke for your kind inquiry and generous comments. I did make a number of chaire a few years back however I don't have any here at the moment. It is something that I'd be happy to put on my "to do" list however.

Be well,
R

[Robert Fornell]

I thought that I'd post a few mizusashi over the next few weeks as when compared to chawan, there is a little more freedom of form when working which I enjoy as well. This particular piece was coil built then textured followed by and irabo glaze combination.

Best wishes,
R