yesterday was my first class at the itami craft center, part of the
museum of arts and crafts in itami, hyogo prefecture, japan. it's a really cool combination of museum, teaching facility, gallery spaces, and even a little shop. all in a compound of buildings that include traditional japanese shophouses-some of which are open just to walk through and see, and some are used as the shop space, where teachers and students at the craft school have work for sale.
i dont know very much about the
city of itami itself, (it's not included in my japan lonely planet) but wikipedia tells us that it was the only city in japan built within a castle (which was since torn down). from my architectural preservation friends, i know that itami also is an example of townscape preservation, which means that historic areas were preserved instead of just isolated buildings. and from my firsthand experience, there are good maps/signage including clear pedestrian access through the city.
the craft center offers a stunning array of craft classes: jewelry-making, spinning and dyeing, feltmaking, etc. i would love to take a spinning class, and one of their seminars about using natural dyes... this is one of the reasons i am excited to take a class there, as it seems like an excellent place to find out about all sorts of crafts and crafty things happening throughout the region. but first, i was excited to get back into ceramics, something i did back in high school, and then also when i was in japan last time (three years ago in yokohama).
the ceramics class was fun, very mellow and laid back, with a distinctive community class feel. there were about 10 students total, a couple other younger people, but mostly middle aged/retirees. the woman across from me was there with her elderly mother, i think they have been enjoying classes there for a while, and they also know the woman next to me, who was hilarious. she was probably in her 50s, and very chatty, with a thick kansai accent. constantly talking about how whatever she was doing wasn't good, and that she didn't want the teacher to see it, but in a totally light-hearted and funny way. there were a couple of older gentlemen, with their aprons (as this is japan, most people had smocks or aprons-one grandpa had a christmas teddybear apron on, which was quite cute) who were quietly making pots. everyone was mostly coil-building on small handwheels. a couple of the older men also were obviously not novices, as one used all his 2 kilos of clay to make a huge vessel, and another threw a piece on the electric wheel. the teacher did a demo of the wheel, and encouraged people to use it for trimming/finishing their coil work. i've done wheel work before, and i'd like to get back into that, but i want to wait a few weeks and not be demanding!
the teacher was really nice, very positive and interesting, and has been to walla walla, washington, as part of some kind of sister city program. there was a moment when i was explaining my situation (i.e., what is the white girl doing in this class, and where is she from?) when everyone was listening, and some discussion of seattle included me having to look up a japanese word that i didn't know, which turned out to be 'slug.' which was funny, because in the guessing game of what it might be, i had guessed 'is it food?' based on the explanation that 'you put salt on it'. but anyway, apparently there's a rumor that there are slugs in seattle that are the size of tiny dogs (!)
a few months ago i started taking a pottery class, which i love. the teacher is great, and she has a tiny studio/shop/classroom which happens to be on my block! today i threw a few pots on the wheel for the first time in years, and although i am very much out of practice, it was wonderful.
i'd like to share a few of my favorite finds from the urban craft uprising in seattle last weekend. the pear print moleskin cover with the pencil pocket is from the genius that is chikabird, in collaboration with slow loris (whose shirts i love), now located on guemes island washington. that's an image of their gasworks park design below.
be sure to check out the slow loris shirts, i am pretty sure you will love them.
also spotted: these wonderful ormanents made from vintage wallpaper available from ladies and gentlemen, a new vintage store by jane from chikabird.
from portland, the beautiful ceramic work of leah nobilette. the colors are wonderful,
and the texture is stunning.
and more pretty portland art from twosarahs, printmaker.
and finally a bit more from some neighbors to the north, bellingham that is. spincycle yarns spins and dyes all their own yarns, and if you get a chance to see them in person, their yarns are spectacular.
kindling is the chicago-based collaboration of brother and sister aaron and megan pahmier, who use local reclaimed wood to create lovely objects, like the vases above. you can see more of their work, including vases, vessels, picture holders, and candle holders at kindlingshop.com and in their etsy shop.
aaron is a furniture designer and builder, and megan is an artist and teacher (that's her work above).
up in the air somewhere is the work of chicago-based artist and designer susan dwyer, another renegade vendor with a striking display of gorgeous works. trained as a sculptor, susan creates ceramic and paper vessels inspired by industrial architecture, like the silo pitchers above.
and these simple pitchers as well. available directly from the up in the air somewhere website.
last week i was in chicago...
for the renegade craft fair (as seen advertised on this blue line train!)
felt cafe shared a booth with my dear friend angela of les glaneuses, gleaner and repurposer of jewels.
my handfelted merino, naturally dyed baby booties were the hit of the weekend. this one is dyed with indigo.
but i cant wait to post this mug (above) from circa ceramics. as i am busy today making lists of the million things i want to do and and drinking coffee (of course!!) i am loving this new mug more and more (and not just because it's filled with coffee). i've known about circa ceramics for quite a while, as they are a popular etsy seller, and use cool print gocco technology to print decals that go onto their ceramics. i love their bold retro designs and colors, and after meeting them in person i also have to say they are THE NICEST. you can get your own circa ceramics piece in their etsy store.
on saturday, i went to pick up my pottery from the class i took earlier this year.
this bowl is my favorite.
but i like these two wee cups too.
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