Melinda Chan

With all that's happening right now, it's been hard to focus. It's easy to get distracted when there is so much uncertainty and fear in the air. Still, I'm trying to stay creative as a means to stay sane and centered during these strange times. Here's the start of a vase project. I decided to go with handbuilding because it's much easier to clean and I have more control of over the final result. I don't need to add to my stress levels at this point.

This is my first attempt at making a mug. I didn't quite get the timing correct on the handle and was impatient, so as the mug dried, a crack formed where the handle was attached. We'll see if this survives the firing in the kiln.

It's all about process when dealing with ceramics, so I decided to show the process I went through to decorate this cylinder. Though I didn't really like the end result, there's a lot to be learned from the process. It'll give me a chance to see what worked well, what I could do better, find out the cause and effect of each step.

Step 1: Throw a cylinder on the wheel.
Step 2: When it's at the right stage of dryness, carve a design.
Step 3: Apply three layers of underglaze
Step 4: Scrap off the underglaze, leaving outlines.
Step 5: Put into kiln for the first firing.
Step 6: Time to color in the outlines using underglaze. This was the tricky part because you usually apply three layers to make sure it shows up, but I didn't want to hide the outlines. This was mainly a test.
Step 7: Apply a layer of clear glaze.
Step 8: The final product.

It had been over a year since I last did any clowning, so when the opportunity came up recently to put on my red nose and get in touch with my inner child, I said yes. Having the ability to let go and play with abandon was great. It was just what I needed after a long day at work.

I had planned to give away some of my ceramics to some friends, but as I was bringing out the box, I accidentally dropped it. Some pieces survived the drop, but many did not. So glad that I still have photos of the originals. 

This drawing was inspired by a game that I recently played. The game was a Telephone Pictionary type of game where a group alternated between sketching and guessing the previous player's contribution. I don't remember what word Pipe of Hope originated from, but it ended up being something memorable, so I decided to use it as inspiration.

When things seem grey, the Pipe of Hope is there to carry your worries away.

Took a little break from pottery while I was preparing for my trip, but now that I'm back and rested, I'm trying to get back onto the wheel.

These pieces were done before my trip. The one of the left still needs to be glazed and fired one more time. I had forgotten about it and it was only after I spotted it on the "last chance" shelf that I found it. Thank goodness it looked distinct enough for me to see it. That's one of the benefits of creating pieces that are easily recognizable. Handbuilt pieces are usually easier to spot than wheel thrown pieces, but I haven't done handbuilding in a while.

The bowl in the middle turned out fine. It has a simple shaped, so I balanced it out with a bold patter on the outside. I'm still experimenting, but I think I tend to enjoy using underglazes to paint on designs.

Recently returned from a trip to Europe, specifically Tallinn, Helsinki, St. Petersburg and Copenhagen.

Each time I travel, I complain about the effort it takes to prepare for a trip as well as the stress of coming back to an overflowing email inbox at work. I still feel that way and travel is not easy for me, but I still do it because it broadens my perspective and keeps from being stuck in a rut.

Some random notes:

1) Learned from our tour guide that many Russians don't smile because they consider smiling as wanting something from the other person. Not smiling is considered a sign of respect. We only visited St. Petersburg and I found that most people smiled.

2) The weather was perfect during the tour, but turned dreary toward the end while we were in Copenhagen.

3) The public bathroom in Nyhavn in Copenhagen was amazingly clean considering it's located in a very popular tourist area.

4) There are lots of Chinese tourists at the Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg.

5) Georgian cuisine is yummy. Lots of spices and new flavors.

6) Tried out a free 3 hour walking tour in Copenhagen (okay, not really free, more like pay what you think it's worth). I think that was a good idea because it gave us a good orientation to the city. Will probably do this in other cities in the future.

Many things can happen during the pottery making process. As I've documented in previous posts, one can never get overly confident as that's when things can go awry.

Pictured above is a bowl that I was planning to work on, specifically to scrape off some of the underglaze and reveal the texture beneath it a bit more. I was excited about this part of the process and looking forward to working on it.

Unfortunately the pottery gods had other plans in mind. While walking to my work table, I stumbled a bit and the bowl flew out of my hands smashing into bits on the ground.

I remember that moment when it left my hands, before it broke. It seemed like an eternity. Upon seeing the bits on the ground, I just stared at the broken pieces for a while.

I was disappointed. Another piece that got destroyed. Time wasted. Didn't want to dwell too long on it, so I swept up the pieces and threw them into the trash.

Although I'm disappointed at losing this bowl, I'm glad I took photos along the way and try to take comfort in knowing that I got practice out of it and the experience will help me get better at not being attached to specific outcomes.