Hobbies?

[nittanylion302]

What do you guys to do keep occupied when you have free time?

I know some of you do some kind of martial arts, I'd like to hear more from those who have experience with that.

[rhinosaur]

Whitewater kayaking and guitar, mostly.
Other random things including martial arts, cooking, video games...

[int]

Music, cooking, golf, reading.

I recently bought an elliptical trainer and have been using that every day while listening to music or catching up on the Tivo.

[stopharian]

Whitewater kayaking and guitar, mostly.
Other random things including martial arts, cooking, video games...

I used to do alot of boating too, not so much any more...
I miss it.




Im a potter(mostly wheel thrown), love to ski, cook, study language, Steel and wood sculpture.

[JAVO]

I did some Taekwondo and Kenpo karate at various times, but don't really have the time or energy for it anymore being a parent. I enjoyed it, but studied those forms only due to convenience rather than preference. If I do any martial arts again, it will be jujitsu, judo, or a type of karate integrating jujitsu. While a teenager, even though I had studied taekwondo, it was rarely useful in real self-defense situations. My very limited knowledge of jujitsu/judo techniques allowed me to throw a few attackers and bullies down and walk away without having to engage them in the fight they were looking for. One of these was a well-trained but arrogant senior belt in kung-fu. His arrogance was used against him, which resulted in a little fall. :grin:

My current interests are:

Landscape photography
Hiking
Wilderness skills
Astronomy
Building furniture from wood
Home improvement (meh)

[ryan_m_parr]

Hobbies?

:pornstar:

Actually, that would be vastly inaccurate. I have no real hobbies, though reading would count as the majority of it.

[2hype]

Im a potter(mostly wheel thrown)

Cool! Do you have your own equipment for firing?

I waste too much time on the internet, read, motorcycle, exercise, cook, go shooting with my husband.

[Faust06]

Music, and not much else. I'm going to pick up drawing and painting again soon though.

I also play video games, but I haven't had much of any interest in latest installations.

[Park]

I'm boring at this moment so it's mainly:
Backgammon
Reading
Watching videos
Posting here or on MBTIC.

[panda]

televangelism

i'm a true enthusiast

[stopharian]

Cool! Do you have your own equipment for firing?

I waste too much time on the internet, read, motorcycle, exercise, cook, go shooting with my husband.

I dont have my own kiln as such by I live in a sort of Ceramic mecca area.

Not presently but often I work as a studio assistant firing the kilns at the local community college and so I get to use the kilns when I want. They have 4 electrics, plus 1 highfire reduction kiln and a hardbrick Soda kiln. I also live near to andersen ranch arts center and so I'm sometimes included in their soda and wood firings. They have a Anagama/Noburigama hybrid that they fire especially when the Japanese master Takashi Nakazato(15th generation potter/ japanese national living treasure) is in town. I also have a couple other friends who have Anagamas and or crosdraft wood kilns that we sometimes fire.

[ryan_m_parr]

I dont have my own kiln as such by I live in a sort of Ceramic mecca area.

Not presently but often I work as a studio assistant firing the kilns at the local community college and so I get to use the kilns when I want. They have 4 electrics, plus 1 highfire reduction kiln and a hardbrick Soda kiln. I also live near to andersen ranch arts center and so I'm sometimes included in their soda and wood firings. They have a Anagama/Noburigama hybrid that they fire especially when the Japanese master Takashi Nakazato(15th generation potter/ japanese national living treasure) is in town. I also have a couple other friends who have Anagamas and or crosdraft wood kilns that we sometimes fire.



Japanese kiln craft are pretty cool. I've been tempted to buy some sake cups and chawan off ebay, either through artists that make them in the US (one is really wacko and has some truly unique ones) or some bizen (one of the best ancient kilns in Japan) antiques (which are probably one of the most interesting and yet original.) If there are artist that sell the japanese art pieces, I would be interested in finding out.

They are truly fortunate to be working with him. Japan has an ancient tradition of ceramic, although it wasn't until Nobunaga and his obtaining of korean kiln masters that anything significant was created. I think Japan has become the best at it.

[Oculus Sinister]

Eating and sleeping.

[stopharian]

Japanese kiln craft are pretty cool. I've been tempted to buy some sake cups and chawan off ebay, either through artists that make them in the US (one is really wacko and has some truly unique ones) or some bizen (one of the best ancient kilns in Japan) antiques (which are probably one of the most interesting and yet original.) If there are artist that sell the japanese art pieces, I would be interested in finding out.

They are truly fortunate to be working with him. Japan has an ancient tradition of ceramic, although it wasn't until Nobunaga and his obtaining of korean kiln masters that anything significant was created. I think Japan has become the best at it.


China was the Birthplace and genesis of the entire ceramic world but Japan is certainly the place where the tradition has continued unharmed and where there is currently the most appreciation for pottery as a ceramic art. The Japanese have recently paid up to $1,000,000 to a california potter, Otto Heino for some pieces that had his formulation of a lost chinese glaze, Imperial yellow.

What you say about Korean Kiln masters is correct and Takashi traces his family line back to Korea when infact they were some of the potters brought to Japan by Japanese warlords. His work is exquisite, but one of his sake cups goes for at least $10,000. I had a friend who was studying under him in Japan when a man with a briefcase full of cash came from Tokyo to buy 20 of them. He has a warehouse full of his work and when 2 of my friends were leaving to return to america they were allowed to go in a pick one of anything to take back with them. You can imagine that they both picked something which was more significant than a sake cup. Anyway I feel pretty privileged to have just fired with him.

Anyway I dont know if you are most intrigued by Japanese style Cha wan in wabi sabi sorts of styles. But here are a few links to some interesting pooters in the US.



Sam makes fantastic Teabowls that have very textural qualities to them. They temd to be higher and more closed mouthed than a japanese style but they feeel amazing in the hand. They are generally stamped with a handmade stamp while wet which gives them a pattern and a inflated puffyness. The site does him no justice in my mind. He used to live near me but is somewhere back in the Southeast now.

http://www.clarksonpottery.com/index.htm

Allegheny is a nationally recognized potter who lives near to me his glazes are fantastic and his forms floral and expressive.

http://www.art-stream.com/alleghany.htm

I havent personally met Allison but I lust after her work, she is represented in Allegheny's galleries. Most of her stuff is handbuilf but incredible.

http://www.allisonmcgowan.com/index.asp

Here are a few of her works that I had to post:

http://www.allisonmcgowan.com/data/images/White%20Tall%20Vase.jpg



http://www.allisonmcgowan.com/data/images/Blue%20Archie%20Vase.jpg

[ryan_m_parr]

China was the Birthplace and genesis of the entire ceramic world but Japan is certainly the place where the tradition has continued unharmed and where there is currently the most appreciation for pottery as a ceramic art. The Japanese have recently paid up to $1,000,000 to a california potter, Otto Heino for some pieces that had his formulation of a lost chinese glaze, Imperial yellow.

What you say about Korean Kiln masters is correct and Takashi traces his family line back to Korea when infact they were some of the potters brought to Japan by Japanese warlords. His work is exquisite, but one of his sake cups goes for at least $10,000. I had a friend who was studying under him in Japan when a man with a briefcase full of cash came from Tokyo to buy 20 of them. He has a warehouse full of his work and when 2 of my friends were leaving to return to america they were allowed to go in a pick one of anything to take back with them. You can imagine that they both picked something which was more significant than a sake cup. Anyway I feel pretty privileged to have just fired with him.

Anyway I dont know if you are most intrigued by Japanese style Cha wan in wabi sabi sorts of styles. But here are a few links to some interesting pooters in the US.



Sam makes fantastic Teabowls that have very textural qualities to them. They temd to be higher and more closed mouthed than a japanese style but they feeel amazing in the hand. They are generally stamped with a handmade stamp while wet which gives them a pattern and a inflated puffyness. The site does him no justice in my mind. He used to live near me but is somewhere back in the Southeast now.

http://www.clarksonpottery.com/index.htm

Allegheny is a nationally recognized potter who lives near to me his glazes are fantastic and his forms floral and expressive.

http://www.art-stream.com/alleghany.htm

I havent personally met Allison but I lust after her work, she is represented in Allegheny's galleries. Most of her stuff is handbuilf but incredible.

http://www.allisonmcgowan.com/index.asp

Here are a few of her works that I had to post:

http://www.allisonmcgowan.com/data/images/White%20Tall%20Vase.jpg



http://www.allisonmcgowan.com/data/images/Blue%20Archie%20Vase.jpg



Indeed, China inspired pretty much all of Asian artistry including kakejiku, shikishi, general influence upon calligraphy, and literature.

Those are very good recommendations. I agree about your observation of the first webpage, though also find the splash page for Alleghany to detract from the amazing work he has created. Alleghany is certainly very talented, and all of the links referenced are excellent pottery. I can also see the interest from the Japanese in Otto Heino’s work which clearly derived plenty of inspiration from Asian pottery. I’m not surprised that Takeshi’s pottery demands that much and I find it unfortunate that some of the pieces I see on EBay are going at a fraction of what they are worth. I almost felt as if I was “stealing” from the Japanese when I bought some Kakejiku wall scrolls, as they are ones that would clearly be valued much higher than what I purchased them (apx $50 as opposed to $400+ (which may even be a modest assessment, as the scroll ends have real ivory and precede the date for synthetic or simulated forgery) however I suspect the market is flooded for antiquities such as these, and the demand in a foreign market is limited due to various trade barriers such as language and cultural differences.) Even more-so when a truly one-of-a-kind painting is valued lower than a simple woodblock print; however it may only be due to convenience over lack of merit in a piece, where people would rather use a picture frame or something to display an art piece as opposed to a 30x70in scroll. Actually, I should mention that I just found an early Edo (late 1500- early 1600) wall scroll that was made by a very well known Japanese painter (a Kano Eitoku.) Granted there are a lot of forgeries, especially amongst well known artist, however even an old forgery is worth a lot, especially when skilled.

Here is the wall scroll that ended at $300:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=180151708313&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=008
(If it is genuine, even in such a condition, I suspect it would be worth $10,000+ easily. . . though I may be over-presumptuous)

A bid that is still active is showing a remarkable tea bowl (circa 1580-1630)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130146115733&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=003

Edit: No, if anyone wonders, I did/will not buy these above. Great investment though! :)

And old samurai related artifacts are remarkable as well, such as tsubas (especially when designed by schools of art that specialize in sword pieces,) and remarkable blades that look pristine after 800 years.

It is pretty fascinating, probably in some part because it is relatively little known to western culture. Many of the artists craft pieces I will keep in mind, as they are excellent.

[fresh]

Drugs, hunting, masturbating, surfing the 'net, thinking, people, reading. In that about that order, but with plenty of drugs throughout!