ユアン クレイグ的 陶芸生活


Thank you for visiting my blog.
This blog about my husband, Euan Craig, who is an Australian potter in Japan; about his works, making process, our life style and our family.   

Mika



5 December 2014

First snow



I wrote about 
"ぐんまの手仕事2, 
GUNMA NO TESHIGOTO 2 
(Hand Crafts of Gunma #2) in this blog before.

Some people asked me about where they can get the book. So I checked.


In Gunma, you can find it in a book shop.

In the Web site, you can get from Amazon.

It presents 18 Hand Crafts, including Euan, of Gunma.


We live in a light snow area of Minakami, we had our first snow today at last.

The winter has really started!
It is beautiful, but I feel a little down hearted.
Even so the kids would love it.








25 November 2014

The exhibition at Ebiya Gallery has finished.




















The Exhibition at Ebiya Gallery finished successfully on the 16th.


We appreciate many people coming to the exhibition.
Euan was very happy to see you and to share his new works with you.
Thank you very much.


He had a very hard schedule recently,
so he had a little rest then he will start to work again soon (maybe today).





6 November 2014

Exhibition at EBIYA Gallery


I'd like to invite you to Euan's Exhibition  at Ebiya Gallery.
He is in the gallery everyday.
We are looking forward to seeing you there.




Euan Craig Ceramics Exhibition

2014.11.8 Sat. 〜16 Sun. 
11:00am - 19:00pm (Open everyday)

Opening party from noon, 8th.

EBIYA Gallery 海老屋美術店



29 October 2014

The Autumn Mashiko Pottery Festival




The Mashiko Pottery Festival is on from 1st of Nov. till 4th.

You will find Euan at his usual place in front of Tohbo Mashiyama.




But he will finish on the 3rd in order to do one more firing before his solo exhibition at Ebiya Gallery.





I will be there with the family on 2nd and 3rd.

We are looking forwards to seeing you there!



24 October 2014

Hand Crafts of Gunma #2 (GUNMA NO TESHIGOTO 2)

Euan's Exhibition in Osaka finished the other day.
Thank you very much.

It was the first Exhibition in Osaka, Kansai area for him.
And there were two big Typhoons came through during the exhibition.
It was difficult......

This is his first step there, and he is trying to keep moving forward.




By the way, this book has just been published recently,
"GUNMA NO TESHIGOTO 2
(Hand Crafts of Gunma #2).







Do these pots look familiar?
Yes! They are Euan's works.

He was introduced in this book as a Craftsman of Gunma prefecture.
It is a beautiful publication. We are very proud to be included.





It is not an easy road, there are times we feel down, times we are overwhelmed,
and other times we laugh, we sing and we have a talk with someone we love.
I think that is the joy of living.

We acknowledge the joy and keep moving forwards.

Euan is making pots for the Autumn Mashiko Pootery Festival 
and the Exhibition at Ebiya Gallery now.
Hope to see you there!





26 September 2014

The First Exhibition in Osaka


We would like to invite you to Euan's First exhibition in Osaka!
He is very pleased to share his works with you.






Euan Craig Ceramic Exhibition
2014.10.1(Wed) ~ 14(Tue)
10:00am - 20:00pm  (last day close 17:00pm)


1-7-1 Shinsaibashisuji,Chuo-ku, 
Osaka, Japan 642-8501 
Tel. 06-6252-8638



Not only functional but also beautiful.
I’d like to introduce the functional beauty of the work of Mr. Euan Craig, who strives for excellence in hand-crafted pottery. The tension between conscious design and natural beauty provides a comfortable functionality to his pottery.
His perfectly shaped wood-fired pieces wear heart-warming colors with unexpected patterns.
These pieces will bring an intimate richness to our daily lives.

                            Gallery Tosei



8 August 2014

Difficulty.......





Euan fired the kiln a couple of days ago,
on the hot summer day.



It was 38 C outside the kiln shed.
So it must be very, very hot in front of the kiln.










He drank lots of water and tea, tried not to get heat stroke.
















The result of the firing was good.

The flame made a great color and gloss on the pots. It is a beautiful result.





But none of the coffee pots or Kyusu tea pots
survived, except a few tea pots.

They are cracked around a spout.....

When he glazed the coffee pots, the glaze gathered inside the spout, then the clay absorbed too much glaze.
Because Euan fires the pots from raw, it is very difficult for glaze timing.

The weather was not good when he glazed the tea pots and coffee pots, so he could not put them outside to dry under the sun.

Therefore the pots didn't dry quick enough before absorbing glaze too much.

Euan was so disappointed with the results.
He put in a lots of time and effort to make tea pots and coffee pots.

The high humidity helps to make tea pots and coffee pots, but it backfires when glazing the pots.
The timing is very difficult and important for glazing the raw pots.


It is very frustrating and disappointing,
but Euan has to work hard to solve this problem.


25 June 2014

Production in the Rainy Season


I'm sorry that I haven't written this blog recently.

It is the rainy season in Japan.
I'm sure that many people are suffering from the sultry weather.
My naturally wavy hair goes all over the place with humidity........


In the pottery production, however,
this is the perfect season for some product.



There are Mugs and Cups with handles, of course

But, especially Tea Pots and Coffee pots, with many parts, Handles, Spouts, Lid's handles, that are attached to the body.






If each part dries quickly or differently, joints will crack. In the rainy season, with high humidity, pots dry slowly and evenly.

It is a perfect time to make Tea pots!



Euan hasn't make Tea pots or KYUSU for a long time, and he has changed the handle design.



I'm looking forward to seeing the tea pots after the firing.

15 February 2014

Snow !!!!



We have a snow !!
Lots of snow !!!











The kids help me to clear of the snow.
But it is very hard work !

We could not reach to the road yet......








And it keep snowing.

I hope you are OK.
Please stay warm.






It's about 66cm.



We found our car !







P.S. The snow lay 88 cm deep this afternoon.


14 February 2014

Happy Valentine's Day






Happy Valentine's Day♥










We had snow last weekend.
It is snowing today again.......



The other day, it was our son's 12th Birthday.

He will going to be a junior high school from this spring.
Time past very fast...

His smile make us happy.






Happy Birthday, Rohan.

31 January 2014

Wood Kiln Building Workshop

Euan is going teach at the Wood Kiln Building workshop, Euan Craig fast fire Kiln,
at FUJIGOKORO TOUGEI (Pottery) CENTER in Chiba.

If you are interested, please contact to FUJIGOKORO TOUGEI (Pottery) CENTER.


















Wood Kiln Building Workshop
Euan Craig Fast Fire Kiln

2014.3.1, Sat. -- 3.7, Fri. 
10:00 - 17:00 

30 Places Available

At FUJIGOKORO TOUGEI (Pottery) CENTER

1124-1 Masuo, Kasiwa-shi, Chiba-ken
TEL.   04-7175-9664


Workshop;
a. Building a wood kiln, Euan Craig Fast fire Kiln.
b. Demonstration making method.


Course;
①. 7 days course (you can participate in a. and b. both )
②. 3 days course (you can participate in 3 day's a. and b. both )
③. 1 day course  (you can participate in 1 day's a. and b. both )

Application Deadline;   2014.2.10 Mon.

Contact: FUJIGOKORO TOHGEI (Pottery) Center
TEL.   04-7175-9664






23 January 2014

Happy New Year




We wish you 
a Happy New Year !

We hope that this is a wonderful year for you all.
















I'm sorry for a late greeting for New year.
I have broken my right wrist in the middle of December last year.
My family is helping me lots! I appreciate of my family's support.
Thank you, my children and Euan.



This is an Exhibition of Mingei Association Members.



益子が育んだ感性
ものづくりの暮らしへの提案

" A Sensibility Cultivated by Mashiko; The Craftsman's Proposal for Life."


2014.1.18th Sat. -  29th Wed.
9:00 AM --5:00 PM

at Tsukamoto Gallery