A Change from Pottery

This lovely piece of glass is by Brendon Sole of Wanganui. There are three pieces, one purple, one violet and this rose coloured piece. They are vase shaped which makes them akin to pottery but I have not tried using them as vases. Hope you enjoy this blog.

Cube Arranged

I know that I have shown this cube before but this simple arrangement with the last of the miniature roses and a lichen covered branch was so easy and attractive.

Orchid

This orchid "Earica autumnalis" grows in our patch of native bush. The name is a contradiction of terms as "Earina" means "early spring or summer" where-as "autumnalis" obviously means March or April flowering time in New Zealand. The best way to find it in the bush is to recognise its perfume then look up into the trees nearby. It has a strong and distinct perfume. This orchid also grows in Japan.

Horse Eye Plate

This lovely plate used to be in Peter Stichbury's collection which is where I photographed it. It is now in the collection of the Te Papa National Museum in Wellington. I am sorry I did not try and purchase it from Peter and keep it in the public domain rather than it be locked away in a museum collection. It is one of the nicest Horse Eye plates that I have seen.

Arthur's Pass Viaduct

For those people who live elsewhere in the world I would like to show some images of New Zealand amongst the pots and other photos published on my blog. This first one is of the wonderful engineering feat of the Arthur's Pass viaduct. This structure made a huge difference to what was a very tricky part of the trip between Christchurch and the West Coast of the South Island. It is also, I think, a very beautiful structure.

Tea Pot Estelle

This is one of Estelle's tea pots fired in the large anagama. Lovely to look at but anagama firing for thinly thrown pots is not really satisfactory for everyday use. For all that, I wish I still had this pot.

Autumn Colours

The autumn colours are always irresistible. After the rain the other morning, with the wet trunk of the tree being darkened, this Pin Oak was looking its autumn best.

The Governor Generals Visit

Sir Anand and Lady Susan visited Kamaka Pottery in April 2007 for a private visit. I had met them when Sir Anand, together with the Japanese Ambassador, opened my retrospective exhibition when it was held at the Japanese Information and Cultural Centre in Wellington in October 2006. This was just after it had been announced that Sir Anand (but before his Knighthood) had been appointed New Zealand's new Governor General. They are both such lovely friendly people and very easy to have visit.

Large Glazed Platter

These large platters were about 18 inches (50cm) square or even larger when made in a rectangular shape. Pouring the glaze looks easy when you see Hamada doing it but was a bit nerve-wracking. It always turned out satisfactorily though as the edges of double glazing soften when fired. One of these platters was given to a previous Governor General as a gift from the city of Hastings. I wonder if it is still at Government House - I should have asked when the present Governor General visited me in 2007.

Raindrops on Leaf

This morning we have some light rain which we desperately need. My gardens are extremely dry except where I have been able to water and there is absolutely no grass growth. I guess that is a bonus as it means that I do not have to mow the lawns.

Patricia Perrin Onion Pot

This is, I think, one of the best of Patricia Perrin's Onion Pots. Most have splashes of glaze while this one is completely plain which is one of the reasons that Estelle and I bought it. It is also a very full round shape with excellent detailing. It is not used to hold onions but is used decoratively.

Native Fushia

This sweet plant which I think is a Native of New Zealand is wonderful when used in the kakehana - small hanging vases. Its drooping nature is just right and is so easy to arrange.

Michael Cardew

This picture of Michael Cardew was taken in our workshop in 1968. The pots had been made at a demonstration in Napier and, as he was staying with us, he used our workshop to slip and decorate his work. We later fired all his pieces in our oil kiln using a papa rock glaze over the slip. The jug on the left is the one shown below which is now in my collection.

Jug by Michael Cardew

Long Kakehana

This long Kakehana or hanging flower vase was made by Estelle and has a opening cut in the side as well as the top opening. This wonderful piece of lichen has been sitting in it for ages and still makes a talking point for visitors.

Persimmon

This tree is looking very pretty at the moment. The birds and I can't wait until the fruit are ripe. It is of the astringent variety but good to eat once they get to be very ripe.