Out of the fire

Last night we had a very special workshop with potter Richard Brandt  firing black raku style teabowls. Richard is a long time Portland ceramic artist who also has studied chado.  He understands the form and functionality of the teabowl because he has used them in the tea ceremony.  His generous offer to hold a workshop for the students of Issoan Tea School was exhilarating and inspiring.

We began the evening choosing teabowls that Richard had already formed.  To make it fair, ecah student chose a number and we got to choose from in the order of our drawn number.

 Next the glaze was applied

 

While the glaze was drying, Richard gave a lecture and slide show of the history of Raku style bowls.  He emphasized the Raku is not a process, but a family name.  He also covered the differences in Japanese style rakuware  and American style rakuware where heavy metals are used to achieve iridescent colors.

The teabowls were then placed in the kiln and fired to more than 1800 degreees.

By looking at the bowls in the kiln, Richard could tell when it was time to pull them out. At the proper time, the kiln was opened and the teabowls were sitting there glowing white and orange.

It was quite dramatic as he pulled each teabowl from the kiln while it was still glowing hot and plunged it into a bucket of water.

 The teabowls heated the water to boiling temperatures but then were set on the bricks to cool further.  You can see the steam coming from the bowls as they are cooling.

And there is nothing like that first taste of tea in a brand new teabowl.

 

Then the bowls were carefully wrapped in presentation boxes and presented to students.  I will be naming each bowl an will calligraphy the name on the boxes for each student.

Inayoshi Osamu, Japanese Potter coming to Portland

Thanks to the Oregon Potters Association, Inayoshi Osamu, Japanese Potter. will be presenting a demo workshop at The Oregon College of Art and Craft.Fee structure for Inayoshi Osamu workshop (demo)Download the Inayoshi flyer
 
2 days
non OPA members $75, OPA $60, students $35, OCAC students no charge

1 day
non OPA $40,. OPA $35, students $20, OCAC students no charge

Seating is limited. Cash or check payments may be made directly at the workshop. To reserve your seat in the workshop, please make checks payable to The Oregon Potter’s Association and mail to:

Joe Davis Instructor of Art, Ceramics
Mt. Hood Community College
26000 SE Stark St.., Room VA30D
Gresham, OR 97030

The workshop will take place in the ceramics lab at
The Oregon College of Art and Craft
8245 SW Barnes Rd, Portland, Oregon 97225
(503) 297-5544

Please see the .pdf for more images of Inayoshi’s work and process, and also for text and links from Hank Murrow, long-time potter in Eugene.

For more information, please contact Joe Davis (503) 491-7149 Joe.Davis@mhcc.edu

Issoan Tea School News and Events

We have a lot of events coming up this fall, in addition to the busy summer.  I promise that I will get back onto a schedule of regular blogging, as the blog posts requested and ones I want to write are piling up.

For the immediate future, please see the calendar below, and if you are interested in attending any of the events or workshops, please contact me.

September 18th, Wedesday 6:30 pm -- Moonviewing at the Portland Japanese Garden.  Regular Wednesday class will be held at the Japanese Garden.
September 29-30, Sunday- Monday, 10 am- 5 pm -- Soujuan Kimono visit, The Wine & Spirit Archive, 828 SE Ash St #204, Portland OR, 97214.  We are lucky to have Mr. Nomura return to Portland with his collection of art kimono and, kimono accessories and kimono dressing lessons.  Please join us.
Octpber 5-6. Saturday -Sunday, Northwest Tea Festival, Seattle, WA.
October 13-14, Sunday -Monday, Christy-sensei intensive seminar. Konarai on Sunday, Kagetsu in the evenings.  Shikaden study on Monday morning, Okuden afternoon, advanced Kagetsu Monday evening.  Contact Margie for more information.
November 2-3, Saturday, Sunday 10 am.  Tea gathering for the opening of the winter hearth.
November 10, Sunday 10am -12 pm, Kumihimo workshop. Learn the basics of Japanese braiding techniques.
Coming soon - Kintsugi workshop, repairing ceramics with gold

Issoan Tea School News and Events

Saturday, July 20, 1 and 2 pm 
Chanoyu demonstration at Kashintei, the teahouse at the Portland Japanese Garden

Sunday July 21st
Seichuki at Kashintei, the Portland Japanese Garden teahouse

Friday, August 2; 5-8 pm Chehalem Cultural Center August ArtWalk celebrates the world of woodfire ceramics with our exhibition of master ceramicists from around the region: "West Coast Woodfire: A Legacy of Innovation and Influence." 6:00 pm: Margie Yap will be here to demonstrate a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, highlighting the woodfired tea bowls featured in the exhibit.

Saturday August 3, Oregon Buddhist Temple's Obonfest 2013 from 3:00 pm to 9:00pm. Join us for food, gifts, entertainment and dancing. This year's Obonfest features -- Food items: yakisoba, yakiniku, yakitori, shave ice, manju, chirashi sushi, beer garden, soft drinks, Spam musubi
Program: Tanuki Taiko, Portland Taiko*, Martial Arts Demonstration, Temple Talks, Bon Odori (public dance)
Vendors: Michiko Selby (Oshie art using chiyogami paper), Miwa McCree (massage), Kaori Oya (Shiatsu massage), Hiroshi Ogawa (Japanese Pottery), Margie Yap from Sweet Persimmon (handmade purses and meditation products), Karen Fullerton (notecards and art), Kinokuniya Bookstore (Japanese books, music, misc items) Others: Omiyage shop, T-shirt sale, children's corner, raffle

Sunday August 11, Chashaku/Bamboo Hanire Workshop. 10 am -noon at Issoan Tea Room. Fee is $35.
Bamboo chashaku, tea scoop carving and flower vase workshop. Bamboo materials, saws, chisels and knives provided, if you have your own carving knife, or utility knife please bring it. Demonstration of techniques, but mostly hands-on working the bamboo. Space limited to 6. Sign up and reserve your space via Paypal at left. THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL, CONTACT ME TO GET ON THE WAITING LIST

Regular classes at Issoan Tea Room:
Wednesdays 7-9 pm - Intermediate studies
Thursdays 7-9 pm - Beginning Chado
Saturdays 1-3 pm - Beginning Chado
Saturdays 3-5 pm - Intermediate studies

Photos from the sweets workshop

Kanten comes in many types, from powder, to threads, to dried blocks.  The trick is to get the ratio right.  We used a powder that I was not familiar with and the sweets turned out to be so hard they were like hockey pucks and had to be discarded.

Molding the koi for the most popular sweet was like sculpting with play-doh.  The fish are made with white an and then orange and yellow bits are added randomly for color.

Here they are in the kitchen.  Some fish are more lively than others.  Some look like they are playing dead.  But they all tasted good.

Final presentation on a glass tray.  Don't they look delicious and cool?  We also made mizu yokan and kudzu yaki. The thing about kanten is that the longer it sits, it seems to get more cloudy, so they have to be eaten fairly soon after making them.  Darn!

And for the inspiration of koi in the pond:

Summer sweets workshop

This Saturday, May 25th is the summer sweets workshop

It will take place at Issoan Tea School, 17761 NW Marylhurst Ct. Portland, OR 97229

From 1 -3 pm,  cost is $25. All recipes, ingredients and molds provided. Bring apron and container to take home your sweets.

We will be making mizu yokan, kudzu yaki and koi in a pond. 

Mizu yokan is a favorite summer time treat.  In Kyoto we would buy them chilled in these green bamboo tubes and they would poke a hole in the bottom so you suck them out and eat them.  You can also mold them in a pan and slice them into squares or if you have cooking cutters, cut them into shapes.

Kudzu yaki is made with kudzu starch and cooked until clear. The kudzu is poured into a mold and dusted with potato starch and grilled. 

Koi in a pond is an white bean paste koi sculpture in a round mold with kanten surrounding it.

Please mail me or call me if you would like to attend. 
Margie 503-645-7058
margie@issoantea.com
There will be a limit on the number of people to as many as I can fit in my kitchen.  (5-6 people).

Worshops and events scheduled for this spring

Eventing Chaban

A lot of things are going on this spring at Issoan Tea School

Kagetsu study, Sunday February 24th, 1:30-4:00

Kimono dressing workshop: Saturday March 9-3-4 pm.  Bring your kimono and accessories.  Individual help in dressing yourself will be provided.

Soujuan Kimono of Kyoto will be in Portland Wednesday March 13,  7-9 pm.  A short talk on kimono and kimono dressing lesson from Ms. Kageyama, professional dresser.

New Introduction to Chado class begins Saturday March 9, 1-3 pm for 10 Saturdays.  Cost is $250.  Please reserve your spot with $50 deposit by clicking on Paypal in the left column.  Space is limited and filling up quickly.

April Kaiseki cooking class - Basics of kaiseki, the meal for Japanese Tea Ceremony.  We will prepare and serve a basic menu for spring chaji.  Kaiseki dogu, preparation and timing will be covered.  A shopping trip for ingredients will be included if students are available.

If anyone is interested, please contact Margie 503-645-7058, margie@issoantea.com

Confessions of a Chado geek

It has been more than a week since we had an intensive workshop here in Portland with Machida Gyotei sensei and we are grateful to Urasenke and Oiemoto for sending him to Portland.   I don't remember the last time we had a Gyotei sensei in Portland, but I have studied with them while I was in Kyoto, Japan and Seattle.

It always takes me awhile to process what was presented because it is like drinking from a firehose, there is so much information presented in such a short time.

As always we start the seminar with warigeiko, back to basics of folding the fukusa.  Though each time we do it, I learn something new.  Machida Gyotei sensei teaches in a little different manner than others I have studied with.   He asks questions designed to make you think deeply about what you are doing.  For example, he asked us the first day, "Why to you fold the fukusa in this manner to purify utensils?   Did you know that the fukusa is not exactly square?  Why to you think that is?

We studied from the very basic usucha procedures to the most advanced daisu  procedures in the course of three very full days.   On the third day in the afternoon, we practiced kagetsu, including two that I have not done before ko-tsuki kagetsu, and yojohan kagetsu (kagetsu in the four and a half mat room).

Machida Gyotei-sensei  offered practical advice in his lecture, Movement within the tea room, and got into some very philosophical aspects of Buddhist and Chinese daisu procedures, how to handle precious utensils and things to think about for later.  All with a charming and funny demeanor.

It was overwhelming and inspirational at at the same time.   And yes, I really needed that hot tub after sitting on my knees for three days.

Workshops for Tea Ceremony

Thursday, October 4, 2012 - 6:00pm :
Japan and the Culture of the Four Seasons - Nature, Literature, and the Arts, (click link for more information)
Portland State University
We plan to dress in kimono, attend the lecture and have a snack afterwards.  Please join us.







Saturday October 6th, 10 am to 2 pm 
Kimono alterations class 
Issoan Tea Room
Kimono too short?  Not wide enough?  Kate has been successful in altering kimono to fit differnt body shapes. Bring your kimono to work on.  She will teach us how to measure for kimono, where to add length, how to widen side seams and much more.   We  will also learn proper fitting and kimono dressing.  Please join us.  Call Margie to register 503-645-7058


Saturday October 13, 10 am - 2 pm 
Field trip to the Bamboo Gardens
North Plains
We will meet at Issoan Tea School and carpool to Bamboo Gardens where we will tour the garden, learn about bamboo cultivation, and how to work the bamboo for crafts.  This will be  good in preparation for chashaku carving and flower vase making workshop later this year..  For reservations and carpool information, call Margie 503-645-7058


Sunday October 14th, 10 am
Completion of Kimono alterations class
Kate 's house 
After homework assignment, we will complete our kimono alterations. (bring sewing machine if you have one).  If there is interest, we may have ongoing sewing workshops including sewing a kimono from scratch, shifuku making workshop and making bags for chabako.  Please call Margie to register.  503-645-7058

More workshops to come

Kobukusa Magic

We had a kobukusa making workshop a couple of weeks ago, and I promised that I'd post pictures from the workshop.  We had 4 participants, and Kate was our teacher.  She supplied silk fabric, silk thread, needles, patterns, instructions and sewing advice and help.

Everyone who had brought their sewing kits, supplies and eagerness to learn.

We started with the fabric, pattern and instructions:

Measured and pinned:

Stitched: 

Pressed:

Turned with a little bit of kobukusa magic we had a finished product.

Kobukusa making workshop at Issoan Tea

Date: Sunday, August 12, 1-3 pm
Where: Issoan Tea School 17761 NW Marylhurst Ct. Portland, OR 97229
Make reservations by Friday August 10, 5 pm. 503-645-7058
Fee: $10

We are lucky to have talented students at Issoan.   This Sunday August 12 there will be a kobukusa making workshop from 1-3pm at Issoan Tea. That little square of brocade cloth is used in many instances such as serving tea from the kitchen, haiken, displaying utensils and intermediate and upper temae.

Kate has generously agreed to teach the workshop and will be providing practice fabric, patterns and teaching the workshop.  Bring  a sewing kit if you have one.  If you do not, we will supply everything.   Please call to make your reservations for this workshop by Friday evening, August 10, 503-645-7058.

Stay tuned we have other workshops planned for this fall.