Home » February 2013

Oh, We Turned out Pretty Nice.

by Iori Espiritu

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I got my ceramic pots from both the wood fire kiln and the gas kiln on the same week!

Bowl. White glaze. Woodfired

I love how woodfired pieces create an inconsistency. You really don't know what will happen to them.

I love this texture but I can't use it unless I pop every bubble so Im leaving it as it is.

My babies! I was engrossed with enclosed form during this time. I now have four eggs.

I like the one on the right with a white glaze on top that looks like whipped cream over coffee.

Bowl in brown glaze. Outer part unglazed.

My precious teapot! I also love this color. Excellent unexpected glaze!

And something I experimented on after seeing Tessy Pettyjohn's work :)

Lovely turquoises.

Also, I've put up a new illlustration and ceramics portfolio. You can view it here

Note to self 021313: After a second try at wood firing, I've seen how much better we've done this time around. Only that my works aren't there and I really wished they are because I can feel how good the outcome of 10 hours of labor is . Also inspired by students' works. I've tried to avoid this for the longest time but I guess I'm ready to move ceramics to art-level. Read more...

2.06.2013

Wood Firing

by Iori Espiritu

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This is my first time to experience wood firing.

I wasn't expecting anything from it. I arrived at the studio past lunchtime and Kuya Carl was there putting wood on the kiln. I took a chair and watched as the fire burns the wood to ember. And the process repeats itself until I hardly noticed, an hour had already passed! The fire somewhat draws me to it, a sort of calming feeling watching it rise up and burn down in a cycle. The fire sends some warmth to my skin on this cold January.

A few hours more and I decided to join in the stoking. The pattern was two and four on alternate. Kuya Carl had the left side and I was in charge of putting wood on the other. We had to watch for the temperature changes. A drop meant we have to stoke again. We have to constantly watch for signs: the smoke on the chimney, the pyrometers, the temperature gauge, or the burning wood.

We used plywood at first and it took long before it reached the desired temperature.

Later, we shifted to palochina.

The camera doesn't show but flames are rising up the chimney!

It's more evident at night. Red-orange flames up the roof.

I ended up staying til 8pm! Wow. I never thought I'll be this enamored by burning wood!

I learned a lot of new things that day. Spontaneity pays off. I hope hardwork pays off too. Now I wonder how my pots turned out to be. :)

I realized I'm happiest with experiencing the process than expecting how the outcome will look like.

I guess this also applies with my life.

Pinto Art Gallery

by Iori Espiritu

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Pinto Art Gallery is a treasure cove of Philippine's contemporary art. Located in Antipolo, Rizal, this one-hectare of rolling hills is converted into a compound of galleries and a vacation house for Dr. Cuanang.

It houses works from prominent visual artists in the Philippines like Mark Justiniani, Elmer Borlongan, Rodel Tapaya and a whole lot more. It goes in every corner of this Mexican-inspired architecture. I also think that its structures are noteworthy and in itself holds a grand design. How they incorporated the rocks found in the area to be part of the building is something visually fresh and organic.

I visited Pinto with other members of Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang InK) on a Saturday.