Today was the Po-Wen workshop at Claymakers, fantastic workshop!!! If you ever have a chance to take a workshop with Po-Wen I highly recommend it. Some of you may remember the tea pot workshop I did with him. I know Meredith will remember :)He started off the day "wedging" his clay by throwing the 25 lb. bag on the floor a few times and declared it wedged. I like this! And the wedged bag became this:
then this:
Here is Po Wen's bio: Po-Wen Liu is from Taiwan, R.O.C. Before coming to the United States, he majored in ceramic engineering and worked for a Chinese porcelain company in Taipei, Taiwan as a ceramic engineer for 2 years. He tests, develops and improves glazes and clay bodies for the company.
In 1996, Po-Wen attended the School for American Craft at Rochester Institute of Technology and received a BFA degree in ceramics.
During his study at RIT, Po-Wen was honored to be manuscript consultant for the 2002 Newbery Medal awarded book, "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park, regarding the making of celadon wares. In May 2004, Po-Wen received his MFA degree in ceramics from Northern Illinois University.
Po -Wen now lives in Greensboro NC with his wife and two children and has a full time studio near the cultural arts center of Greensboro.
This cylinder became a large platter from about 18 lbs. of clay
Po-Wen threw, I think. 10 pieces off the hump, 25 lbs. of clay, such an efficient way to throw.
scraping slip from the combed clay
and a really great Japanese tea pot. I learned so many valuable techniques today, so many time saving things and good body mechanics to save energy and wear and tear on the body. If I can't throw some big vases soon, I should just give up after Steven Forbes deSoule's class at Penland, Susan Filley's big pots class and now this. Po-Wen was truly inspirational and I am ready to get in the studio and throw some clay on the floor! Thanks Po for a wonderful day!!!! I'll edit my pictures more tomorrow and see if I have anything else I should tell you. A couple of weeks from now will be Amy Sanders workshop at Claymakers, so much fun to have these workshops at CM!
9 comments:
Love that teapot!!!
my old bosses name was ping wen-liu. weird.
Glad it was fun. Hate that I missed seeing you and Babz there today. xo
Workshops are such a great way to learn good tricks and tips.
I like that teapot.
I once watched a potter from Korea throw and work on teapots- it changed how I did spouts and attached them.
there are going to be great things coming from you!
How cool! That dude is strong. My friend, retired clay professor Bill Sabo taught me to throw bags on the floor too! I've not been able to bring myself to do it though -my studio floor gets too dirty... Wonderful forms he made.
Great photos and great inspiration, I too love that teapot and the pot with the slip being removed, wish I could be there for Amy's workshop - soon.
Looks like a great workshop. Been throwing my clay on the floor for years. Works great.
Yes, Gravity! Great stuff.
Great post! I love seeing all the photos of Po-Wen Lui in action, beautiful pots, vigorous.
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