It was a rather uneventful morning, unless you count mentally.
I did find out that there are raku glazes already here in the glaze room that I could use, and I saw the test piece as well as a few teabowls with those glazes. Also, a trip to the Research Center had been planned for 3:00 that afternoon, and perhaps they would have some recipes I could use. Or I could mix the same glazes that I use at home, but I was anxious to try the Japanese style of raku, with some of the glaze they would typically use.
Around 11 or so, I got a call saying Takae-sensei (he seems to be everyone's boss or teacher, but I don't think he's the director here, so I'm not sure exactly what his position is) was waiting for me upstairs, and would like to see me. So, I went up to the kitchen, and found he was with a woman who spoke very good English and Japanese, and who was here to turn in her application to work here at Togei no Mori next year. I later found out her name is Celina, she has stayed at Togei no Mori twice before, she is from Bolivia, and is in fact the only artist from there to ever work here, and she has lived in Japan many years. Anyway, it was very nice to speak with the two of them for awhile, because she was able to make up for my deficits in speaking and understanding Japanese, and I found out Takae-sensei has been very interested in my work, but of course, has had difficulty talking to me since my Japanese is out of practice and seriously lacking vocabulary, and his English is minimal.
After we talked for awhile, Celina invited me to go to the local library with her, since she was going anyway and perhaps she could help me find a couple of good books on raku. Takae-sensei had said he had a meeting, but as we were leaving he pulled up beside us in his car and asked if we would go to his house with him since he had a little time. How nice! So, we followed him, and went to visit his home. I found out that his wife is also a potter, though she also has gardens and takes care of the house. Takae-sensei used to be the director of the Research Center here, and was for many years, and his father was also a teacher. After Takae-sensei retired, he came to Togei no Mori. He has done all kinds of amazing things with glaze research and develpment, including creating high-temperature luster glazes (I believe it had something to do with slowly cooling the kiln, and many of them were based on tenmoku glazes), glazes that completely change color in different light, low-temperature glow-in-the-dark glaze... And he is also interested in raku, and reduction with oil. There must have been at least 6 or 8 kilns at their home. It was great to get to know him a little better, and to see the amazing things he has worked on.
So, after a very nice visit, we proceeded to the library, and Celina helped me to find a couple of books with information on Japanese raku. One was called, in translation "Raku Technique" and though it is written entirely in Japanese, I am very anxious to get a copy for myself. There were numerous pictures, some glaze recipes, and all kinds of information that I could only begin to understand now. I would love to translate this book into English someday, because it is really rather difficult to find extensive information on Japanese style raku in America. Celina kindly translated a few recipes for me, and I'm anxious to take them home and test them. However, I decided that for now, here, it would be best to use the glazes that are already available and that the guys who are helping me are already familiar with. I don't really have time to test anything new, even though I would certainly like to! But I will soon, most definitely.
So, after an already busy and interesting day, at 3 a group of us went to the Research Center with Minori and Takae-sensei, as well as another man helped to translate for us. It is really an amazing facility, with every bit of machinery you can imagine for making, mixing, shaping, or analyzing glaze or clay. This, I believe, is where Takae-sensei developed most of his ideas, and there are all kinds of interesting works in progress there that we could only understand a bit of. For instance, have you ever thought that a sponge soaked in clay would burn out in the firing, and the result would be a block of some great insulation material? They have. That place has such an interesting mix of art and science. There are students learning how to throw, and upstairs, researchers testing the endurance of roof tiles. They have an entire room full of shelves upon shelves of glazes that have been developed there, and the recipes are all available. Simply amazing. I'll post some of the photos from the research center. I wish I'd had my camera at Takae-sensei's house, but I really only thought I was going to the kitchen, so I had absolutely nothing with me.
A room full of machines for making or mixing clay.
Takae-sensei explaining a kiln with a special fixture on the top for neutralizing the gasses (well, that's the simplified version we were given).
More odd machinery for... um... Looks interesting, doesn't it?
A student who is learning how to throw.
This is a microwave kiln. I'm not sure exactly what that is supposed to mean, or how it works, but that is what they said it was.
Remember how I talked about the sponge idea?
Roof tiles.
Clay and glaze test tiles. They had numerous boards full of these.
Crystaline glaze applied in little lines. I think they look like little furry caterpillars. Below the plate you can see a sample of really a brilliant blue crystaline glaze.
Takae-sensei had dozens of little teacups like this at his house, with such beautiful spots of luster. Some had larger spots, and some were almost completely metalic-looking.
More of his luster glazes, but I think these were low-fire.
More glazes Takae-sensei developed.
And his raku glazes.
Samples of materials used for glaze and clay from all over the world.
Look! It glows in the dark! And it's ceramic!
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