The Education of a Bonsai Potter

[StoneForest]

Oxides like, making washes so thin they run, I despise, when it is merely to change the color of a pot that can be more beautiful with the right effort.

Your top left one can be done that way as far as I can tell, but if it was, it was done well enough to not tell.

A lot like that (not that yours is but they exist), can be perfectly suitable for a display, but a potter, as you are and it clearly shows, or a true connoisseur, will not be able to fully enjoy it, no awards, etc, if the bottom shows these drips.

I am quite amazed at your transition to understanding the bonsai aesthetic, not many potters make the transition so seamlessly.

Sorce

Sorce, I agree with you, it only takes a little effort to clean up any drips or runs and make the pot look finished. That pot does have iron stain, but it was a heavy burnished coating rather than a thin washed coating. And it was fired in reduction, which gives it a beautiful sheen. thank you for the compliment.

 

[StoneForest]

I'm just going to toss this into the thread, in case you haven't seen it. You are already an advanced ceramics professional, but this is such a great video on bonsai pot production, it should not be missed:

Bonsai Empire's Tokoname Pot Video

Thank you Bonsai Nut...I enjoyed watching it again. It's like taking a mini workshop! I love watching potters...still mesmerizing to me.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

The popularity of brightly colored pots with sculptural elements has had me a little confused, so it is good to know that well-made "quiet" pots are still in demand. I can make four-foot-tall floor jars, so large pots are no problem... However, shipping anything that takes a box over 12 inches costs an incredible amount of money and that problem is only getting worse. For that reason I've kept most of the pots I've put up on my site and on the auction sites smaller. I hate telling someone that it will cost $58 to send a pot their way. I would love to become a vendor and take a display of pottery to some bonsai shows in the Midwest or even Northeast/Southeast, but it seems to be difficult to break into...so for now the auction sites are helping me to get some work out there. I do admire Sara Rayner's work. I would love to meet her one day and see some of her work in person.

Here is where a little judgement will have to come into play. I regularly see flashy bonsai pots sell that I wonder what people are ever going to do with them? Pots that look like coiled dragons, etc. You never see them again - certainly never at an exhibition. I think many people buy pots because they just enjoy the pot... without it being seriously considered as a bonsai pot. Or else that they are just starting in bonsai and don't really understand the concept of pairing the pot with the tree. It's similar to buying an Old World master oil painting and putting it in a modern stainless steel frame that has cats and kittens stamped on it. Some people might love cats and kittens, and the frame as a piece of art might be interesting, but its use in this context is the art equivalent of fingernails on a chalkboard. So I tend to see colorful pots either used by beginners who use them incorrectly, or by advanced enthusiasts who know how to use them correctly - and who buy expensive pots. But regardless, my comment about using them much less frequently still stands. You might have 20 muted pots for every colorful one, unless you only keep shohin. To be honest, I'm not sure I have any colorful shohin pots, because I don't have any shohin - or at least none that I would put in a colorful pot

On Peter Krebs' site, he has some photos of amazing antique painted pots.
Museum Pots 1
Museum Pots 2

My comment about "frost-proof" was inexact. I should have said "robust for outdoor use, including below-freezing temperatures".

Also, though I mentioned tie-down holes in my list of functional items, they are really a Western invention. I'm not sure of any Japanese potters who use them. You can see, for example, in the Tokoname video, they only use drain holes. In my opinion tie-down holes are a "nice to have" and not a hard requirement. I don't have many pots with tie-down holes - I just wire my tree into the pot through the drain holes. I certainly would not want tie-down holes if they impacted the strength of the pot, or had any other negative effect.

 

[StoneForest]

Here is where a little judgement will have to come into play. I regularly see flashy bonsai pots sell that I wonder what people are ever going to do with? Pots that look like coiled dragons, etc. You never see them again - certainly never at an exhibition. I think many people buy pots because they just enjoy the pot... without it being seriously considered as a bonsai pot. Or else that they are just starting in bonsai and don't really understand the concept of pairing the pot with the tree. It's similar to buying an Old World master oil painting and putting it in a modern stainless steel frame that has cats and kittens stamped on it. Some people might love cats and kittens - and the frame as a piece of art might be interesting, but its use in this context is the art equivalent of fingernails on a chalkboard. So I tend to see colorful pots either used by beginners who use them incorrectly, or by advanced enthusiasts who know how to use them correctly - and who buy expensive pots. But regardless, my comment about using them much less frequently still stands. You might have 20 muted pots for every colorful one, unless you only keep shohin. To be honest, I'm not sure I have any colorful shohin pots, because I don't have any shohin - or at least none that I would put in a colorful pot

On Peter Krebs' site, he has some photos of amazing antique painted pots.
Museum Pots 1
Museum Pots 2

My comment about "frost-proof" was inexact. I should have said "robust for outdoor use, including below-freezing temperatures".

Also, though I mentioned tie-down holes in my list of functional items, they are really a Western invention. I'm not sure of any Japanese potters who use them. You can see, for example, in the Tokoname video, they only use drain holes. In my opinion tie-down holes are a "nice to have" and not a hard requirement. I don't have many pots with tie-down holes - I just wire my tree into the pot through the drain holes. I certainly would not want tie-down holes if they impacted the strength of the pot, or had any other negative effect.

I love your analogy of the painting and the frame...perfect!

 

[StoneForest]

I just noticed you are based in Holland, Michigan. I believe you are the 3rd or 4th potter from MI. Though I think you and Linda Ippel are the only two that are full time bonsai potters in MI. Or full time potters who's output includes bonsai pots.

I like what I see of your pots. You have the "right idea" about the pot should not be all ego. Though I admit to buying a few pots because of their the "ego" aspect. My favorite pots are pretty understated. There was a "Kraken" pot on a facebook auction the other day, Big eyeball staring at you. It was a stunning pot, but I can not imagine any tree being bold enough to go with the pot. A lot of us will buy 5 or more really subdued pots, then "go mad" and pick up one or two spectacular "potter's ego showing off" pots.

Bright and colorful glazes are easier to work with than figures, like the "Kraken" example. Dragons, snakes and other creatures staring at the viewer are just not easy to match to a tree. A bold colorful glaze will tone down in color as a patina develops.

Pot size. Yes, too many small pots out there, not enough larger pots. Many trees need inside depths for roots of 3 to 4 inches, many pots are too shallow even if they are large enough.

Cascade pots, the taller than the width or diameter pots are somewhat out of style, especially the exaggerated tall cascades. The current fad is height is the same as the upper depth and width being equal or for rounds, the upper diameter and the height being equal.

For freeze thaw resistance, always have the upper rim be wider than the base. This way as the soil mass freezes and expands, the soil mass can slide up. Outward flaring diagonal side walls will survive freeze thaw where perfectly vertical walls might be totally vitrified, but the pressure of the expanding ice in the soil will pop or crack the walls of the pot. Bag shapes, where the upper rim comes back in on the potting media are guaranteed to break.

I like your work. Looking forward to seeing more of it.

Thank you for the insights, Leo. I will do an ego-filled dragon pot one day, just because I can. ha! It hasn't fully formed in my mind yet. Interesting thoughts about cascades, I'll keep it in mind. I have made and sold bag-style pots...but I can see your point. No more of those. Thanks!

 

[penumbra]

I love your analogy of the painting and the frame...perfect!

True, true. Having done professional framing for 12 years I can concur.

 

[Colorado]

Great looking pots on your website, I think you can see which ones are in demand I was about to buy one of those rounds before I saw that they’re sold out!

Love the oxide washes, and yours looked very nice. Sam Miller makes bonsai pots with some really nice washes too if you’re looking for inspiration.

 

[Adair M]

Interesting...Shohin being less than 6 inches?

A Shohin bonsai is 8 inches tall or less. There is no defined pot size limit, but they
are small pots. Most of mine tend to be around 7 inches wide, a few shallow ones are as much as 9 inches wide.

 

[Adair M]

Adair M, I'm not sure if underglazes beneath clear glaze on porcelain will fade much, but I'd be interested to see how it weathers. This little koi pot was an experiment to see how the blue stain recipe turned out, and I agree that it's a bit loud. I'll lean toward a gentler touch next time.

It’s not so much that the stain fades as it is the patina dulls the finish. On really old pots, the patina is black! Old Chinese antiques that were yellow when new appear to be green! If the patina is cleaned off, the yellow reappears, and the value of the pot drops by 3/4ths!

 

[TomB]

though I mentioned tie-down holes in my list of functional items, they are really a Western invention. I'm not sure of any Japanese potters who use them.

All of my good-quality modern Japanese pots have tie-down holes. The cheap production ones tend not to, but all the hand-made ones do. For example this Koyo which I happen to have to hand.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

It’s not so much that the stain fades as it is the patina dulls the finish.

An example of patina on an old "white" pot. This pot sold at auction for about $4500. I can't imagine anyone cleaning off the patina, but I suppose you could, and underneath would be brilliant white... and the pot would lose much of its value.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@StoneForest
Don't know if you have seen these two website, or whether you will find them helpful. But looking at other peoples work can give you ideas or inspiration, especially the Japanese potters.

Modern Japanese Pottery and Porcelain Marks (窯印)

You are invited to come along with me as I learn about Japanese ceramics. I will share what I learn about the kilns, history, terminology, potters, decorators, styles, and marks. This is a work in progress. ** NOTICE: I DO NOT ANSWER QUERIES ON PERSONAL PIECES. I DO NOT GIVE VALUATIONS...

modernjapanesepotterymarks.blogspot.com

and this website blogs about North American potters

Blog | American Bonsai Ceramics

americanbonsaiceramics.com

hope they help

 

[Gaea's listener]

@StoneForest
Don't know if you have seen these two website, or whether you will find them helpful. But looking at other peoples work can give you ideas or inspiration, especially the Japanese potters.

Modern Japanese Pottery and Porcelain Marks (窯印)

You are invited to come along with me as I learn about Japanese ceramics. I will share what I learn about the kilns, history, terminology, potters, decorators, styles, and marks. This is a work in progress. ** NOTICE: I DO NOT ANSWER QUERIES ON PERSONAL PIECES. I DO NOT GIVE VALUATIONS...

modernjapanesepotterymarks.blogspot.com

and this website blogs about North American potters

Blog | American Bonsai Ceramics

americanbonsaiceramics.com

hope they help

Great resources, thank you for sharing

 

[StoneForest]

An example of patina on an old "white" pot. This pot sold at auction for about $4500. I can't imagine anyone cleaning off the patina, but I suppose you could, and underneath would be brilliant white... and the pot would lose much of its value.

View attachment 332434

Stunning...the detail is crazy.

 

[StoneForest]

@StoneForest
Don't know if you have seen these two website, or whether you will find them helpful. But looking at other peoples work can give you ideas or inspiration, especially the Japanese potters.

Modern Japanese Pottery and Porcelain Marks (窯印)

You are invited to come along with me as I learn about Japanese ceramics. I will share what I learn about the kilns, history, terminology, potters, decorators, styles, and marks. This is a work in progress. ** NOTICE: I DO NOT ANSWER QUERIES ON PERSONAL PIECES. I DO NOT GIVE VALUATIONS...

modernjapanesepotterymarks.blogspot.com

and this website blogs about North American potters

Blog | American Bonsai Ceramics

americanbonsaiceramics.com

hope they help

Thank you Leo, I did look into both of those today. Applied to be included on the potters' list.

 

[LanceMac10]

2015... @hometeamrocker pot, surely among his earliest work, but check the clean lines and the antique look of the glaze. If I had to show a pot from my collection that displayed the tenets of the Japanese "Wabi-Sabi" philosophy, this one might have more easily visible characteristics of said nebulous vision....

 

[SantaFe]

I think many people buy pots because they just enjoy the pot... without it being seriously considered as a bonsai pot.

Speaking for myself, this is definitely the case. I’ve spent years collecting American art pottery (e.g., artist-signed Rookwood from the early 20th century) that most often takes the form of vases and bowls, and that was never intended to hold anything. The form is considered part of the beauty even though never put into use. These pieces are often worth thousands of dollars. I consider some very finely designed and executed bonsai pots to be art pottery in the same vein.

 

[Enfield Snapper]

I do admire Sara Rayner's work. I would love to meet her one day and see some of her work in person.

If you haven't listened to it yet, you may be interested in the podcast episode Bonsai Mirai did with Sara Raynor. She talks a bit about how she got started. If you ever get a chance to attend any bonsai clubs where you can show your work, that will probably give you a boost - it did for her.

Do a search in the page to find it quickly, because they have every episode on one page.