smile maker of the week #6

It’s been a while to show my 'smile maker of the week' series here, but this is so worth waiting. Beautiful Blackbird and Rose Nest print by Angela Harding. (Thank you so much Angela!) This print is one of the limited special edition of 100 that Angela kindly offered to Country Living magazine readers. The current issue features an article about her work and studio, which is also a joy to see! Whether you are birdie-minded person (like me!) or not, do pop over to Angela’s world here. It will make your heart sing for sure. x m 

Lilypad gone to the show and back home with a pair of blackbirds

BCTF is always overwhelming having a mixture of excitement, nerves and fatigue. Nevertheless, thanks to all the visitors to our stand, I have received many positive comments from galleries, which I must follow up soon. 

The show is good opportunity to meet artists in person too. Here are wonderful people who I met at the show. Phiona Richards creates amazing paper sculptures and jewellery out of books. Samantha Robinson’s unique porcelain work are so tiny and adorable. (click their name to view the site) They were both very energetic and great to speak to. It was lovely to meet you both. Today was ended with a bit of hunting goodies, including these gorgeous glass earrings handmade by Catherine Keenan. So ace to see you again, Catherine. And must not forget, always a joy to see Adam Frew’s work. xm 

BCTF

Some of my lilypads will be showcased at BCTF from 15th to 17th April at Yorkshire Show Ground, Harrogate. For more info, please click here. (see Harrogate College stand 177) xm 

April

It has started with the summer-like scorching hot days followed by snow. What’s going on? Cannot pack up my woolly jumper yet. Nevertheless, seeing those tulips from our garden blooming so big makes me feel it is April. Which means that the deadline of my final assignment is creeping up. Must crack on with work. 

Have a nice Easter everyone! xm

studio view

enjoy your weekend everyone. xm

s p r i n g h a s c o m e

full of cherry blossom in front of my studio. 

new start. 

new work. 

more to come. xm

good day forward

i did a quick work at college this morning, then prepared tomorrow’s presentation smoothly in the afternoon. i picked muscari from our garden, then cooked Japanese dinner. it was rather nice day. totally opposite to the weekend just gone. kind messages have helped me. i guess all depend on my mind set. yes, i'm going to make tomorrow a good day like this, too. 

how was your day? hope it was sound to you. x m 

letter to heaven

Dear David

How are you? 

I am fine and coping somehow. 

I guess we only know how hard it is when we actually start doing things ourselves properly. 

So many learning curves in the studio. 

Glaze tests, new shapes, endless trial and error. 

Keep facing wall after wall that I fail to climb. 

I lose focus at times. 

Hearing about tremendous struggles in Japan’s recovery, 

it makes me think how small whatever I could do will be. 

I self doubt. I lose confidence. 

When I got stuck, you were at the other side of the phone, 

trying to give me advice. 

Now is the time that your support is most needed 

but I will have to just struggle. 

But that’s the way you established yourself. 

Something else that I learnt from you, so I must carry on. 

Fresh buds on the cherry tree in front of the studio. Spring is here. 

There is so much to do. 

Now I will walk alone. A long long way. One step at a time. 

Remembering to be thankful each day. xm

the light of hope

Exactly a year before today, I remembered that my mind completely lost function with the devastation in Japan. Since then, I have been thinking and participating in whatever I could do as a Japanese, including the fundraising project and visiting the town wiped out by the tsunami, which made me realise that they’re facing an unimaginable long road to recovery. 

It is vital to continue sending our love and support for those who face the hardship. It is important to keep the light of hope lit for the next generation. I believe that has to be done by us as adults. What an individual can do may be small, but together it become a big light of hope. 

Busy life has been holding me back but I have never forgotten. I will be starting again, HELP JAPAN PROJECT 2. Aiming to open this summer, with a completion of my degree. My support will be on-going. 


Please feel free to contact me if you are interested. x m

exhibition quick peek

The exhibition last weekend went very well. It had a good turn out and many positive feedback. Thank you for those who came along. Here are some images of my work - an installation of porcelain lilypads and a film projected onto muslin screen...

For those who may be interested, this is a brief background. This exhibition was one assignment of my degree study, which was to work in collaboration with a local art dealer and gallery owner. The project was to make work in response to the wonderful 1820 Georgian house where he and his family live. 

I focused on two aspects of the house that fascinated me from my initial visit; one is a story of a fish pond, and other is beautiful patterns throughout the house. It was explained that the state of house & garden was quite run down when he first bought it. Due to over grown plants, he did not even realise there was a fish pond in the garden first, then he even found a fish ALIVE! (and still is today!) No one knows how long this fish has been living there, to which I thought the fish may have never seen any light. I was instantly intrigued by the story and made a short film about fish point of view. Similarly, as the restoration continued, the beautiful original feature of the house appeared, such as floor tiles and wall paper. Both fish pond and those patterns were undiscovered and untouched for a long time. I felt a sense of revealing ‘hidden beauty’ in both elements, which is what my work is all about. 

Those lilypads are all in unglazed porcelain, which I have never worked with before, certainly not thrown. It was quite a challenge for me, but enjoyed a whole new experience. Screen print design was all hand-drawn first. (you can see the process here) My favourite was pierced ones. (you can see the process here) 

Hope you enjoyed. (and so did a dog!?) x m

quite a journey...

it’s been quite a journey

 so many trial

 and error

 right in the middle of academic horror

 just wanted to hide sometime

but finally...

Dissertation is done! 

Exhibition work is up! 

What a relief! 

more images of the exhibition will soon be followed... m x

s t i l l

just that moment i like... do you? xm

an exhibition on its way!

So it went on the front page of the weekender in today’s local newspaper. To find out what it is about, click-open the image in new window to enlarge, or you can read from here.

If you are local, please do pop over. The exhibition is open to public at 16 Cold Bath Road, Harrogate, North Yorskhire, HG2 0NA on Saturday 25th February 11am - 5pm and Sunday 26th 1- 4pm. (I will be down there on Saturday till 2pm.) Fingers crossed for all going well! xm 

winter goes round

The weather forecast in Britain is a little hit and miss, but it did snow after all. Unlike my step-son who dashed out to sledge with his mates early this morning, snuggling in bed was preferable. Start with a bowl of blueberry porridge and a drop of melted local honey. The studio was rather warm from the heat of firing last night (thank god). Checking the result of transfers that was rather a battle. It was half good and half not good. Must find out why the transfer decal keeps coming off on the edge. (any solutions welcome) Oh, winter heaven, winter hell…  xm

fish point of view

I’ve never read so many books at once and written this long in English, probably not even in Japanese, and let me tell you, IT WAS BL • • • Y HARD. Nevertheless, a full draft of dissertation is finally done. Just about to review it through. Phew... 

Haven’t been making anything for ages, but it’s time to start again. Work for my next assignment - one day exhibition at the local gallery - is about to shape. xm