More Ceramics

[liralen]

Jon Singer came last night, bearing gifts.

Included among the gifts was telling me that the glaze of the near black tea cup from the last batch of pictures I had is made from the dirt from Neil Gaiman's backyard.



What he came with was this:



It's one of his latest. It amazes me with its gloss and those glowing colors at the top only really come out in sunlight. The depths to the thing just... astonish me.

Together, we wandered about and found a few pieces of his that I hadn't remembered were his, and some that I did remember.



Those were two flower vases we had on our mantle. The brown one seems to be the fourth piece he made in his first ceramics class. If you click, there's a few more pictures of each piece.

I also found more of the second or third generation teacups.



Below is a smaller tea cup with


The one below has what looks like a bite out of it, and are all these opal colors. I love it a lot and use it quite a lot as well. It fits very nicely in the hand.


But the best part of the visit was sitting and talking with him for a while and then ending up with Jet and Jon out in the rock beds around the yard looking for feldspar and quartz in the darkening evening. We were just sitting out there, looking at rocks and talking about them and what Jon does with them and it was peaceful and fun and wonderful.

It is always cool to have Jon come visit.

Comments

[rasetsunyo.livejournal.com]

is made from the dirt from Neil Gaiman's backyard.

*__* Very cool! As are the pieces you show here. The first one's really amazing.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Thank you!! I'll tell him, too. *grin*

Yeah, it's funny being one degree from Gaiman through both Jon and my sister, Kathy, whom Neil recognizes as his fountain pen supplier. *grin* He wrote Stardust with fountain pens she gave him.

[uke.livejournal.com]

I think that Jon is the most uberconnector-y person I have ever met. It's quite amusingly ridiculous!

[liralen.livejournal.com]

It is!! *grin* He is such a sweetie, too, and listens with such absolute attention to everyone. It was amazing how closely he paid attention to my seven-year-old son, even, and Jet remembers everything Jon told him about feldspar and quartz, now. It's... amazing.

[2metaldog.livejournal.com]

I love that first cup. It's so pretty with the subtle hues in the glaze. Makes me long just a little to get in some throwing *sigh*.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

*grins* I won't stop you.

The glazes, though, that Singer uses are cone 11 glazes. They're... mildly insane. And he mixes his own porcelains, and he puts so many organics into it that it really does stink in an amazing way. He has spectrograph analysis of his glaze compounds, and has, recently been experimenting with gold mixed *into* the porcelain for these astonishing rose hues.

[2metaldog.livejournal.com]

They're plain beautiful. I'm thinking gold tossed into the mix would be stunning.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Mmmm... I have to agree. *grin*

[r0ck3tsci3ntist.livejournal.com]

Oh my gosh, those are gorgeous! I love the glazes! Neil Gaiman's back yard, lol!

Ya know, we never really said anything definitive about the tea wear for art trade... if you tell be what exactly you'd like, I'd be game, if you still are.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

I'd love anything along the lines of either of the sketches of the Academy boys you've done. And I'd be happy to send you one each of the Chatsford (~$25), a plainer yixing (as they go anywhere from $40 to $400 a pot), and one of the gaiwan (~$15) if you like. Prices, 'cause I have no idea what your commission rates are.

[r0ck3tsci3ntist.livejournal.com]

Oh that's lovely because I like that theme. ^____^ I also want to do one of them drinking tea, pretty much half dressed, if that's not too culturally inappropriate. Whaddya think?

Would it be possible to do the yixing with two cups instead of the Chatsford style (unless you think I should have it. I own a store-bought Chatsford style)? I'd love a gaiwan! ♥

IRL I paint portraits and stuff so for traditional media I charge a lot. >_> But all the stuff you've seen of mine is a very different style and all digital, which is how I do all my fan art. I don't do traditional commissions because I just feel weird about taking money for fan art. I feel like I'm violating copyright, (it's just me, I'm not saying other people are wrong or anything for doing it). However I love trading my fan art, especially for other art. If I post the commission trade, I watermark it - so it's just yours.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Oooo... I'd love to have the one of them drinking tea half-dressed. ♥ It seems entirely appropriate. XDD

I can do two cups (I cannot promise both will be Singer cups, they're... rare, but I do think you'd appreciate one of them, and I don't usually buy the Yixing cups as they're too fragile, but I have a few interesting cups I think I can spare) and a yixing instead of the Chatsford, the commercial look-alikes are close enough. And, definitely a gaiwan. :-)

Digital would be great. That helps a lot to know. Neat about the watermark! That sounds like a really useful solution!

[marith.livejournal.com]

The pieces are so marvelous, and I bet the conversation was too. What an excellent visit. :)

[liralen.livejournal.com]

*hugs* It was really, really excellent. :-)

He might even come again! With one of the gold glaze tests and... wow. He's into some pretty amazing stuffs.

[ginnyvos.livejournal.com]

Love the colors in the one but last cup! :D

[liralen.livejournal.com]

I have to agree. XDD

They are utterly gorgeous.