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Potters Guild of British Columbia

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Vancouver, B.C. V6H JR?

NEWSLETTER

OCTOBER 1991

ISSN 6319 812x

Kinichi Shigeno Workshop

Kinichi Shigeno gave a very interesting
workshop on Saturday, 14th September
al Kwantlen College.

Showing us slides from his student days
tothe present, he talked about the things
that had influenced him, and through-
oul the workshop discussed with us
what [t means to him to be a craftsman.

Using the apple form recurrent in much
of his work, he demonstrated his lalest
eculptural forms of larger-(han-life-sized
cast apples piled wp and wrapped clay-
covered fishing net. He also made for us
the sculptured whale flower container
commissioned for the Canadian Em-
bassy In Tokyo, using a combination of
two-plece press-moulded pierces with

thrown anc slip casl appendages, and
talkecl of many of the technical prob-
lems and hew he had overcome them.

The best part of the workshop for me
was to see an idea take shape, as Kinichi
guided us through the Table of Honour
pices. from thelr conception to their
completion, demonstrating the chal-
lenges he had facedl with regard to
shapes, the patterns for the originals,
and their construction from thrown and
moulded pleces. Cutting and applying
the stencils for the pattern of the cranes,
which is their theme, he applied the
oxide with a mouth sprayer and com-
pleted the fine detail with a brush. The
mouth sprayer Ghat he used was a rev-
elation to me, enabling him to apply the
colour without! sacrificing the closeness
to the piece that would occur with the
more usual spraying methods,

Each piece required an incredible
amount of thought and detailed work.
Kinichi told us of the mixed feelings he
had when, Ube challenge and creativity
over, his pleasure at having been se-
lected was tempered by the realization
that he had to make an &)-piece set!

Thanks to Kinichi Shigeno for a really
good workshop full of technical infor-
mation and insightful and humoreus
comment on his philosophy.

Thanks ales te JimJorgenson who spent
the entire day perched on a stool on top
of a table with a video camera, and to
David Lloyd for making things run
smoothly at Kwantlen College, are to
Greenbarn for aupplying the clay. A
video will be available in the library for
loan when volunteers’ time permits,

Rosemary Amon
Workshop Cttee Chair