We worked most of the day loading the kiln with experts Klari and Jakob.  Each piece had to have clay “pads” placed under it so it would not fuse to the kiln shelves.  There was a sense of release (not relief) as our pieces were loaded into the kiln and handed the firing of the work over to those who know the kiln best.  Margaret has much riding on the successful firing of the kiln as she needs this work for an exhibit at the ICS Gallery in June and in Nanaimo in July. Continue reading →

More than half way through my residency in this wonderful setting – and I am feeling a sense of urgency that I am not getting work completed the way I would like to – even though I didn’t come here with the idea of completing lots of work! Such is the human condition – at least mine. I am learning so much, but not finishing or completing work of a calibre I think I should be or am capable of. But why would I think that after not doing much work for such a long while, that I would be able to slip into the creative groove so readily? I know that doing pieces that are worthwhile with a sense of longevity and purpose takes time. I have every reason to believe that nothing but good for my work will come out of this process but I need to be persistent and courageous. Continue reading →

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April is here, the town has embraced the sun and warmer temperatures, restaurants have chairs and table outside and the locals seem to be relaxing a little. People however are still hesitant, even cautious about changing their clothing to lighter dress and to look at them you might think it was still winter. My bare toes garnered looks last week when it was just too warm to wear shoes and socks, but it was evident I was alone in this sentiment. In the evening, it is still chilly and I resort to my cold weather garb as we are in the middle of the plains and the winds blow cold. The heat is still blasting the interior of our studio rooms and for the most part, we are glad of it.

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Artists at our Residency

Time is going very quickly or to pick another cliche, “Where has the time gone? “We are beginning our fourth week!

I picked up the second edition of Contemporary Studio Porcelain by Peter Lane from the ICS library and noticed that Imre Schrammel and Maria Geszler are both  featured in it.  In talking with Jona Gudvardottir, ceramic artist who co-runs the studio, it seems many prominent European and  North American ceramacists have worked in the ICS studio space. I feel that as a Canadian, I know little about the Europeans and their histories but the converse is also true. In Canada we have been following more the British and Japanese traditions but it is wonderful to have another area open up to me with other artistic paths and explorations.

Ms. Geszler arrived last Friday evening and unpacked many stunningly decorated,  primarily silk-screened and drawn on to cello like slip-cast bodies that she glazed and fired over the weekend in the gas kiln. It is a huge amount of work for her to do this on her own and as she says, you have to have the passion to continue with such arduous work. In the studio just next to where she is working, Mr. Schrammel is working with a former student, now fellow artist, Rosita, collaborating on a number of pieces. They are rather large chunky vigorous tile relief works they will let dry and return mid-May to fire and finish. It is amazing to be working alongside them and just to soak up the energy although I don’t believe they pay any notice to the rest of us in the midst of their work.

And, when we think we have more than enough stimuation, a sculptor by the name of Sandor Kecskemeti returns to ICS to do an oil raku firing – something I have never heard of before and a technique that was introduced to ICS by an American raku artist (who, is momentarly not archived)… at any rate, the pictures testify to the firing – after about 3 hours of warming up in the fibre raku kiln, the fibre form is lifted off and a metal; box is put over the grate that holds the red hot work. After the box has been settled, oil is pumped into the red hot atmosphere and smoke is introduced… this occurred at about 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon and the pieces will be pulled out only at about 9:00 a.m. the next day. They are supposed to have a very distinctive look and as the artist says, a very beautiful finish.

Maria spontaneously organized a slide evening focusing on a residency she recently completed in Japan at the Seto institute. It is a very young ceramics institute (10 years) and she has completed other residencies in Japan and seems to have an affection for the country, their kiimonos, food and their venerated ceramic artists. She is a person with a “generous heart” and she seems to want to share her love of ceramics and her enthusiasm for all kinds of work with anyone who is interested. Mr. Schrammel listened to her talk and Sandor K also presented a small film about his work that was in Hungarian and Maria kindly translated.

Maria will be unloading her kiln in the next few days and I asked her if it was possible to be there during the unloading and she said she wanted to do this on her own as it was a a private time for her – I understand completely but somehow was hoping otherwise. We will be introduced to the pieces later in her own time…

Daily Necessities

It may not look like much but this is the cupboard that Debra and I seem to be constantly going to throughout the day– an assortment of local coffees for the strongest espresso con latte in the morning (thank you Debra for bringing the machine, and my abject apologies for making fun of you when you suggested it). The remainder of the cupboard has a collection of black, roibus, mint and green teas that we seem to be drinking constantly – staying hydrated is no mean feat when you are working with clay. The evenings are another matter though – I think some of the best beer is brewed here and we have come to think of it as a major food group – it is delicious.

Firing the Bisque

Deb and Klari spent some time loading the bisque kiln today and this is always exciting as we can get to do the next stage – glazing and firing. We are planning on sharing a salt, wood and gas firings with some other artists – as well as the workload as the wood kiln needs to be fired all night. We should be able to unload the bisque tomorrow but even more exciting to me is the fact that a very well known Hungarian ceramacist by the name of Maria Geszler is coming to glaze her work and load a gas kiln for firing on Monday.

Pieces waiting to be bisqued

It seems ICS has many well known artists who use the excellent facilities for their work. I am exited about Maria being on site as I admire many aspects of her work. She uses screen printing for some of her surfaces which are very painterly and when I was asking a techician about her technique, I was told she cuts the screen out of the frame after the image has been transferred and this flexibility allows her to use small sections or the larger piece to work around a form– something you can’t readily do in a frame… easy and very clever.

Budapest Bound

Bridge Detail Crossing from Pest to Buda

Debra finds there is something about the Budapest structures that resonate with her  – she is almost non-stop exclaiming and sighing as she describes how beautiful she finds the forms and the details that abound such as cupids and cherubs alongside the ever present graffitti. We drove to Budapest last Tuesday with the Director of the Institute, Janos Probstner, to attend yet another opening of the second gallery managed by ICS. While we did attend the opening and presentation of some  Danish ceramacists, the main excitement of the day was being back in the city we are fond of. Walking over one of the many bridges from Pest to Buda in an area we had’t explored before on a magnificent Spring Day kept us walking lightly.

Budapest Street Scene

Of great interest on the drive into Budapest was Janos talking about his childhood as he grew up in Budapest.  While driving down Ulloi Street on our way to the gallery, he described when as a boy of 13 in 1956 in this very street, he was standing in a doorway while Russian tanks filled with soldiers killed everyone around him. His descriptions were so vivid and language so intense, it made me think he relived this event everytime he drove down this street, and I guess, how could you not?

Russian Orthodox Priests Sing

In the local Catholic church on Monday evening, we listened to the priests sing Tchaikowsky, Rachmaninoff, some Russian folksongs and what we think were Hungarian liturgical songs. We took some pictures of the inside of the church but were careful, as this didn’t seem to be the norm as it was at the Hungarian Dance concert a few days before… It was so cold in the church we thought we would freeze but when we sat down, the heat came up through the seats in what seemed like hot

Interior of Kecskemet Catholic Church

water heating! Quite inventive and very thoughtful although before the end of the concert we were roasted out. An evening of beautiful  music.

While we did not feel at liberty to take photos of the priests while they were singing, all propriety was gone after their final encore when a number of the fathers raced from the nave of the church to the entrance to sell their CD’s – even bargaining while doing a brisque business… such is the life of performers.

“What is Wedging?” she asked.

wedged piece

Deb and I took a refresher lesson from Klari in casting plaster -okay, we watched her do it. I wanted to do some relief surfaces for slab forms and Deb did a more complex two part mold of a baby. They have a wonderful invention here – and probably have it other places but we’ve not seen it – a drying cupboard. It works on the same principle as an oven but it draws the moisture out of the clay and the next day the mold is ready for use.                

Deb is doing press molds of the baby and I’ve been pressing clay into the forms and then stretching it thinking it would have more tensile strength for my forms but it isn’t working that way so it is frustrating. Just taking some time to think of next steps.

Today Margaret, Deb and I went to a massive flea market on what I believe is the outskirts of town. All of us came back with some pottery treasures and all of us bargained. Probably go for another visit.

Margaret and Deb talking while we wait for the bus

market "stall"

Our Danish Friends –

Lisbeth Nordskov, jeweller  (www.lisabethnordskov.dk ), surrounded b Gitte Helle, jeweller(www.containerjuvelen.dk), Betting Shori, glass artist, (www.bettingschoori.dk ), Lone Villaume, designer(www.lonevillaume.dk  and Ellis Hinz-Berg, textile designer .

As you can see from these artists’ work (check out their websites), it is elegant and innovative. After the opening of their work we went to yet another exhibit of photographs at the Danish Institute – where we very happily became their guests for the evening meal at a local Hungarian restaurant – much gaiety and as a bonus, leftovers for three days

Lona, Bettina, Ellis surround Lisabeth

And, last evening, we went to see the premier Hungarian Folk Dance in the local theatre. The dancers were charming and venues sold out to enthusiastic crowds who have a manner of applauding that is rhythmical itself and the audience seems to sense how to change the pace of clapping simultaneously.

There are many outstanding artists throughout Hungary performing this festival week and the menu in Budapest includes non-Hungarian artists Ashley McIsaac, works by Arvo Part and dancer Bill T. Jones – but we are in Kecskemet and are celebrating the local fare and are totally delighted with it.