We checked out of the hotel and are leaving Hasami today.

Last day of working at the studio. Finally, the cherry blossoms are starting to bloom!?

We visited another ceramic factory in Arita.

Last day of decorating and glazing the pieces.

One of the most important techniques I learned from Mirijam is using a large Dami brush to paint Gosu/underglaze on the pieces.

The decoration and painting week has begun. It is such an advantage that there are kiln companies in Hasami that fire the kiln 24/7.

After working so hard to finish trimming all our pieces at the studio, we get to explore the Koishiwara area in Fukuoka prefecture.

A beautiful, sunny Saturday.

Today was all morning trimming, then I went to get brushes and Gosu underglaze paint.

Last day of throwing. I went to the studio at 8am and stayed until 8pm.

We visited a family-owned factory and a large mass production factory today.

Another challenging day, going into the details of throwing Chawan using Nobebera, which is a traditional throwing tool.

This morning, we had a meeting about how we want to use the next two weeks for the residency. We realized we really don’t have much time.

Instead of working at the studio on Saturday, we went on a hike in the mountains.

Sunny Saturday, it was a perfect day for the fieldwork.

Today, we learned the Gosu; cobalt underglaze technique in the “Dami” method, a traditional painting style that uses cobalt pigment to create a rich, gradation effect.

Today was the most challenging day. We spent trimming the Hama we threw two days ago in the morning and the Chawan / the rice bowl in the afternoon, both using the greenware chuck.

Today, was learning about underglaze painting. We practice making lines using a soft brush in the morning.

Today was the first day to sit in front of the wheel and learn to throw porcelain in the Hasami traditional way, using traditional tools.

I arrived in Hasami town yesterday and the weather was perfect…