plum rain

Here in Japan we started having a rainy season (tsuyu) about 10 days earlier than usual. We just have rain almost everyday for a couple of months... It's not the same rain you experience in London. It constantly rains, rains, rains as you wonder where on earth all this water comes from. Frogs and snails are very happy but I am getting bored with it now already... Well, I shouldn't complain cos after this rain comes the intense summer heat!! (of course I'll escape before that...)

So it's a good time to work! I'll be exhibiting at Origin this year again and have been thinking of making something new.

I started experimenting with coloured modeling clay. Although, modeling clay is different from pottery clay. It's more plastic and doesn't dry above all. That means you can take your time as long as you want to make shapes and tiny details and also it's much easier to correct misshapes... I hope I get better in making ones with this clay by practising and will be OK to do the same with my stoneware clay.

I have another great news! Craft and Design shop at Aberystwyth Arts Centre is kindly helping me to raise donation during summer for Tsunami relief. If you live nearby, please go to the shop!

日本は早くも梅雨入りのようです。10年ぶりの梅雨は楽しみだったのですが、いざ我が身をその中に置いてみると、不便がたくさん、、、。しかも、実家は山の中に引っ越しているので、かなり動きづらいです。そして、車の免許もない私、、、。

というわけで、9月のショーに向けて新作に取り組み始めました。東京で友人たちといろいろ見ている時に、動物にときめいてしまう自分を指摘されたので、立体には自信がないとは言ったものの、試してみることにしました。それらしく見えるよう形作るのが精一杯で、何の工夫もできませんが、きっとそれが私らしさになるのかな？と思って練習しています。帰る頃には大農場ができているといいなと思います。