The Soderstrom Pottery Blog

2009-11-16T15:26:00.001-08:00

2009 Holiday Open House!

Please join us at our 4th annual Holiday Open House on December 5th!

The hours for this year’s event are:
Saturday, December 5th from 10amm to 8pm

We will have a pottery sale, a children's clay corner, do studio demos, a Raku firing at dusk, and have food and drinks.

We will be having our annual night time Raku firing at 4:30. Come join us around the kiln and bonfire and see the Raku process.

We will also have brush paintings by Sumi-E painter Bob Schmitt.

Also, in sharing with others this holiday season, we will be collecting non-perishable food items as well as gently used adult’s and children’s coats and mittens. We will be donating these items to the Minnehaha food shelf and PPL.

10% of our sales will be going to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Please email me at daniel@soderstrompottery.com if you would like directions to our place.

2009-04-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

Demonstrating Japanese Mizubiki (Wheel Throwing) Technique:

Here is a quick video showing me throw a small teabowl on the treadle wheel.

My first "professional lesson" in Japan was to throw 100 of these in a day. They all needed to be of the same dimensions and wall thicknesses.

I learned to throw quickly and efficiently, without over thinking things. As a result, the pots that are produced are an expression of the true self rather than a mere product of the mind or Ego.

2008-11-06T12:22:00.000-08:00

The other night we were sitting outside around the fire. My neice and nephew wanted to hear a ghost story. I told them that I would share a "mysterious" story instead; one I learned while living in Japan.

The Story of a Crane Wife
(Tsuru no On-gaeShi)

Once upon a time, there lived an honest young man in the countryside of Japan. One day, while he was tilling a paddy field, a crane suddenly came flapping down from the sky. It was a white crane with truly beautiful feathers. The bird was apparently wounded, and did not fly away, but came reeling towards the man and weakly fell to the ground. Wondering, the man checked the crane’s feathers and found an arrow stuck in the base of the wings. “Poor crane! That’s why you can’t fly!” So saying, the young man pulled the arrow out and washed the wound clean.

The crane soon recovered and showed its delight by flapping its wings. “Now,” the man said to the bird, “be careful never to be spotted by a hunter again”. Thereupon, the crane circled over his head three times as if to express it’s thanks and then disappeared high into the sky after uttering a shrill cry.

The young man resumed his work, deeply contented that he had done a good thing. At nightfall when the stars began to appear, he returned to his home. To his great surprise, however, he found a beautiful young woman, whom he never seen before standing at the entrance. She greeted him, saying, “Thank you for your day’s hard work”.

Startled, he wondered if he was entering the wrong house, but the woman said with a smile, “This is your home and I’m your bride," "I don't believe it!" the man shouted. "I'm so poor no woman will ever agree to marry me. "Besides, I have only enough rice to feed a single person!" "Don't worry"; the woman replied. "I have brought rice." So saying, she took rice out of a small bag and began to fix supper. The man finally consented saying, “How strange that you should force me to marry you! Well, do what you like!” and thus the woman came to live with the poor young man.

Oddly enough, the small bag the woman had brought always provided the amount of rice they wanted, enabling the couple to lead a happy life. Time went by and one day, the woman asked her husband to set up a workshop for weaving. He borrowed money and had a special room built. Thereupon, the woman entered the room, saying, “Please never look in here for seven days”. And for exactly seven days after that, only the sound of a loom was heard from within day in and day out. The man felt as if he were waiting for as long as one or two years, but remembering her request, he did not peep into the workshop.

The seven days passed and the woman came out somewhat haggard. Held in her hands was a roll of resplendently beautiful cloth such a he had never hoped to see. “Now,” she said to him, “I have woven a roll of cloth. Please take this to the town market. It will sell for 100 “ryo” (a big sum in terms of ancient Japanese coinage).” The next day, the man went to town and the cloth brought a surprisingly high price just as his wife had said. Startled and delighted, he hurried home. Upon reaching home, he found his wife already closeted in the workshop, and only the sound of the loom was heard. He wondered how she could weave such beautiful cloth apparently without treads. Soon he could no longer contain his ardent desire to see her, and stealthily peeped into the workshop, breaking his promise never to do so.

To his great surprise, he could not find is comely wife there. Only a crane was weaving cloth with white feathers plucked from is body. Promptly realizing that the man was looking in, the crane stopped weaving, staggered towards him and said: “Well, my dear husband, you have seen everything. Now that you have found out what I really am, I can no longer stay here, to my great regret. I am the crane who was saved by you. To repay your kindness, I have so far served you in the shape of a woman. But from now on, please regard this half finished cloth as myself and keep it dearly.” The crane then flew up with her remaining wings and vanished into the sky, never to return to the man.

Daniel
www.teafox.com

2008-03-18T20:23:00.000-07:00

In Japan, most tea is drunk out of small cups called Yunomi. These teacups don't have handles like their western counterparts. Instead, the cup is supported by a raised foot on its bottom.

While living in Japan and studying pottery, I had many opportunities to make Yunomi. In fact, one day after I had been studying with my teacher for some time, he told me that I would begin my “professional lesson.” He told me that my professional lesson was to make Yunomi. He went on to say that I would only make Yunomi. I would make only Yunomi, until I could make 100 in a day.

What follows is a series of photographs of me showing how Yunomi are made on my homemade Treadle Wheel in my studio:

Notice how the Yunomi is formed at the top of a large mass of clay.

The cup should be formed with as few steps as necessary.

After the cup is lifted from the mound of clay, the top of the mound will be re-centered and a new cup will be formed.

One difference between Japanese and Western methods is that the wheels in Japan rotate in the opposite direction from those in the U.S. and Europe. Therefore, my teachers in Minnesota assumed I was left handed when they saw my throwing style that I acquired in Japan.

Another major difference I noticed was that cups are "thrown off the hump" meaning many cups are made from a single mass of clay that is centered on the wheel. Here in the U.S. cups are usually made from small single balls of clay that are each centered individually.

Yunomi are a joy to drink Japanese green tea from. I have some of my cups available in the Teafox Shop. My wife likes to use them as stemless wine cups. If you want to learn more about my pottery, please visit my pottery website.

Daniel

Bringing you Japan's finest green tea
www.teafox.com

2007-11-18T08:10:00.000-08:00

Perfectly Imperfect!

When I began studying pottery in Japan, my teacher told me he would teach me starting with the most basic of lessons. I began by learning the correct way to hold my hands when wedging the clay to remove air bubbles. When he felt I was ready, he took me to the pottery wheel and showed me the correct way for form a “teacup.” Once I could make this simple form, we moved on to the bowl. After the bowl, I learned to make a plate. I was not allowed to learn to make a new form until I could successfully make the one I was working on. As the months went by, I learned to make a variety of pots including bottles, urns and many large pieces. I began to wonder what I would learn next. On a chilly day in November, I arrived at the studio and met my teacher. He told me that I would begin my “professional lesson.” I excitedly agreed and waited to find out the complicated form that would be the start of my professional lesson. He told me that my professional lesson was to make the “teacup” (the form I had started with.) He went on to say that I would only make teacups. Everyday I would make only teacups. I would make only teacups, until I could make 100 in a day. He would watch me and correct me, until I could form the teacup in just 5 movements of my hand.

Working in this way, I became very efficient. I began to reach a point where I could form the teacup without conscious thought. The forms were not the result of cleverness. I was freed from my Ego. They were unique to me, but not because I had sought out to create unique forms. They were unique to me, because I had simply made them. They communicated a part of me that could not be explained by words. These are the purest forms that I make today. They are the most genuine. If, when making a “teacup,” I should accidentally place a “flaw” in its surface, I simply leave it. There are no “flaws.” Each imperfection leaves the piece uniquely perfect!

2007-09-11T19:59:00.000-07:00

See my work at the MIA

I am very excited to share with you the news that I will be part of an
art exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts! My artwork was
selected by a jury panel that included members of the MIA curatorial staff. This is a tremendous honor for me, and I am thankful to all of you for the support and encouragement you have given me.

The exhibition is entitled "Art Perchance" and will take place on the
second floor atrium of the Target wing of the MIA from September 19
through September 27. On Friday, September 28 the artwork will be moved to the Third Floor Reception Hall for a "Main Event" where all of the artwork in the exhibition will be auctioned off. All of the procedes go to the Friends Transportation Fund, which provides bus funding for thousands of metro area schoolchildren to visit the MIA.

The week of the exhibiion in the Target wing is free, as is museum
admission. The "Main event" and auction where Patrons can win donated art is not free.
If anyone is interested they can go to the museum website at
http://www.artsmia.org
and click on the link to "Art Perchance" to get more details.

2007-08-14T07:31:00.000-07:00

I want to thank everyone who came to visit me at the Uptown Art Fair this year. Many friends and family came to show their support and I am very thankful. I met many new people, and visited with friends I had met at other shows like Michiko and Aya from Japan. The weather was perfect, even though it rained and was chilly one day. Many people left with what I feel is the best work I have produced. I hope that these pots will be a source of happiness for many years to come. I was also encouraged my the response I received from people regarding our upcoming tea event. At this event, you will have the chance to drink and learn about the green teas of Japan. We will be sampling Hojicha, Genmaicha, several Sencha teas, Gyokuro, and even have a few bowls of Matcha tea! I will have more information about this once the date is set. I am planning on putting on this event at the end of September or the beginning of October. In the meantime, I will be busy getting all of the teacups made!

2007-07-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

Minneapolis Uptown Art Fair:

I am very excited to be a part of the Uptown Art Fair this year. It was my first year of applying to this event, and am honored to have been chosen to be one of its invited artists. It is one of the top 10 art fairs in the nation and the second largest event in Minnesota second only to the Minnesota State Fair. There are 350 amazing artists featured at this year's event. There will be an estimated 350,000 guests attending during the three days that the fair takes place. The dates of this event are August 3-5. I would be very happy to see you come visit me at booth #105. Please email me if you have any questions or go to the Uptown Art Fair website:
http://www.uptownminneapolis.com/art-fair/
Thank you all for your ongoing support!
Daniel

2007-05-10T13:05:00.000-07:00

My new "Denki Rokuro" aka my new Electric Wheel:
I finally purchased the electric wheel that I have wanted for a long time. It is the same as the one I learned on in Japan. It is a 25 year old Shimpo RK-2 potter's wheel. At that time, Shimpo wheels were still manufactured in Kyoto, Japan. The thing that I really like about these wheels, in addition to their simplicity and reliability, is the fact that they have a hand control, in addition to a foot pedal. This allows me to be able control the wheel speed while sitting in a variety of positions or even standing while throwing. Also, having an electric wheel will allow me to throw larger amounts of clay than I am able to with my treadle wheel. I must admit that there is also an intangible quality about these wheels that I am attracted to; maybe it is merely romanticising the past, or maybe it connects me with my teacher and his pottery lineage in some way. Who can say?

2007-04-05T17:40:00.001-07:00

Wind Powered Kiln!

I should begin by saying that I have not invented a new kiln that runs directly on wind or erected a wind turbine in our backyard. What we have done is calculate the amount of energy that we use each month to fire our electric kiln and power the studio (500kw-hours) and purchased enough wind energy to cover our energy consumption. We have done this through a program called Windsource. Windsource is a program available here in Minnesota through Xcel Energy where one can purchase wind power in 100kw-hour blocks. By purchasing these blocks, more wind energy can be produced, and more wind turbines can be installed. In fact, the EPA states that buying just one 100kw block of Windsource for a year has the same environmental benefits as not driving a car 2,400 miles or planting a half-acre of trees! Sarah and I support wind power and have made the decision that it is worth paying extra each month in order that we can have more of this clean renewable energy available. Now, if I could just attach a windmill to my kiln...

2007-02-26T19:12:00.000-08:00

Bicycles and Pottery?

Today I was re-wrapping the handlebars of my 20 year old Miyata road bike. I was using a black handlebar tape that is made out of cotton. Very rarely do people still use cloth tape for their handlebars. Now there many synthetic options for covering handlebars including gel pads that fit under the tape. The reason I use cotton tape is because I feel a connection with the past through continuing this tradition. It is also an aesthetic choice, and gives a different tactile experience. This is much the same as the role that pottery plays in my life. I choose to make handmade pots so that people who use them can feel a connection to the long history of pottery. I also want people to have a pleasant visual and tactile experience each time they use one of my pots. Bicycles and pottery...

2007-02-08T09:01:00.000-08:00

How I made my Raku kiln:

It is cold here this week in Minnesota. The temperatures have been below zero for close to a week now. I am missing being able to be outside. I am looking forward to being able to fire the Raku kiln soon, but I would like to wait until it is at least 40 degrees outside, which may be a while. In the meantime, I have been throwing stoneware pots that are being fired in the indoor kiln, and making a some Raku pieces for when the weather does improve. A few people have asked me about how I made my Raku kiln:
I began with taking an old electric kiln that I bought for $75 and no longer worked. I took out all of the elements and removed all of the electric components from the outside. I took some soft brick, and carved plugs to fill the holes where the kiln sitter and thermocouple were mounted. I also filled in some of the peeps that I knew I wouldn't be needing. I used a hole saw to cut the burner port and flue. I contacted Ward Burner Systems and purchased a MR100 single burner system set up to run off of two LP tanks in tandem. Using the two tanks helps prevent them from freezing up. If anyone is interested in a more detailed description of how I built this kiln, I would be happy to answer any questions. The kiln works great. I usually fire four pieces at a time, and fire it four or five times back to back. It gets to 1800 degrees F. in about 45 minutes, which is plenty fast for me.

Raku burner from Ward Burner Systems

Two LP tanks a safe distance from the Kiln

2007-01-21T18:49:00.001-08:00

The Treadle Wheel I Built:

In Japan, we made most of the pottery tools that we used. The belief is that, by making one's own tools, the potter has a deeper and more intimate connection with the work he or she creates. Of the tools I have made, my pottery wheel is the dearest to me. Many people who know me were not surprised that I wanted to make my own wheel, but were skeptical of what the outcome would be. The wheel that I decided to build is based on an English style potter's wheel like the one used (and made popular) by Bernard Leach. This type of wheel is referred to as a "treadle wheel." It is powered by the potter who rocks a foot bar back and forth. The potter is always in motion, which allows for subtle variations in forms he or she creates. The pots are not machine-made-flawless creations. It is clear that they are of an "organic" origin. This fits well with my aesthetic as well as world view, which I would like to share in future postings.
Getting back to the "nuts and bolts" of my wheel; I enlisted the help of my father in law, Greg, to help me with the construction of the wheel. He met me at the U of M one day, and we took pictures and made drawings of one of the old treadle wheels that Warren Mackenzie had brought to the "U" years ago. I made some changes to the Leach style wheel to fit my "left handed" throwing style that I learned in Japan. I found a metal fabricator to make all of the metal pieces for the wheel, including the stainless steel wheel head. The bearings I used are automotive tie-rod bearings. The wheel is constructed of a mix of woods, including Oak, Maple, Douglas fir, Cedar and Ipe. Each wood was chosen for different reasons, in different applications on the wheel. For example; Ipe was chosen for its resistance to rotting, and maple was chosen for its hardness. Throughout the construction of the wheel, which took place over a long weekend spent on the North Shore, we both wondered if the wheel would work at all. Neither of us had worked on anything like this before, even though Greg is an accomplished wood worker. Much to our surprise, the wheel more than exceeded our expectations. It has performed flawlessly for me over the past few years. It has allowed me to have a deeper connection to the entire pottery forming process. It is now a natural extension to my body, and the rhythmic sound of the treadle moving back and forth provides a meditative soundtrack by which I work.

My Wheel when relatively new

Ben Owen's Grandfather's Treadle wheel that Sarah and I saw in North Carolina

2007-01-08T20:35:00.001-08:00

Holiday Open House:

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who was able to come to the "Soderstrom Pottery Holiday Open House." I hope that everyone had at least 15% of the fun that I did. I am already looking forward to our next open house. It was a great way for me to share a little bit of the crazy life that Sarah and I have. Our friend Adam Stern provided 3 different homebrews for the occasion. The smoked beer was a favorite of mine. The studio was packed for a brief wheel throwing demo. After the demo, a few people had fun trying their hand (literally) at my "left handed" treadle wheel. I had so much fun sharing my pottery with everyone who came. We did a Raku firing after dark that produced a lot of excitement and photo opportunities. It was like standing around a 125,000 BTU campfire. It was a chilly night and the heat from the kiln was more than welcome. Several people took photographs and I have included some of them here. I promise that the next open house will be even bigger and better than the last!

People hanging out around the kiln

Flames from the flue

Me putting on the fire suit

Reaching into the 1800 degree kiln

A glowing Raku pot just before going into the reduction chamber

The smell of burning leaves and pine needles filled the December air