Relief!

The bisque was a success, and I've finished building all of my pieces. What a relief... Everything is going so well. I'm getting anxious now to learn about the glazes they have here, and to try out the raku kiln. I've heard it's an oil drip kiln, which I'm not familiar with, plus, Japanese techniques for raku are different... So, I have a lot to learn, and I'm sure it will be very exciting. Hopefully there will be someone here tomorrow who can tell me all about the glazes, and then in a couple of days I'll be able to fire for the first time!

Here's a picture of the finished bisque:

I'll post some pictures of the new pieces soon. They are all drying now, and a few more pieces have been bisqued now, too. It's so nice to have them all done, but I know I'm going to miss building. This is a wonderful place to work, and I like my little area in the studio. However, it is nice to have a little more free time for a few days. The weather has been beautiful for the last couple of weeks - occasional rain, but very pleasant, not as hot. You can feel the beginnings of fall in the air, and just a few leaves are starting to change. It's so lovely to be outside, to walk around the Togei no Mori grounds, to ride a bicycle to the store, or even around the town with no particular destination. Twice before I've been in Japan in the summer, so it's nice this time to get a taste of fall. However... I'm also extremely glad to be leaving before the weather actually turns cold...