"A Shaman a Cook and a Clown
Looked for women in a faraway town.
Lacking the knack they took none to the sack,
And went home after getting turned down."
Another recent box. This one's a straight white Shino, with light reduction started at Cone 09 or thereabouts.
I've been practicing a kind of automatic drawing. I don't think at all about where I'm moving my hand, at least not once I get going. I only try to think generally about what I'm drawing, and try to keep those thoughts as general as possible. So I'll imagine characters and hats, and types of uniform, or types of women's figures, or men, or types of postures. Or I'll imagine situations. If I can get my head distracted enough by these upper level thoughts, then my hands will take care of the drawing. It's hard and it ruins a lot of what I do! But sometimes they turn out, and I'm always overjoyed to see the way in which my story hangs together.
This box is called "The Shaman, the Cook, and the Clown" after an idea I had for a film about three male characters who live on the fringes of society, and journey forth into the big city.
The box form gives me the most density of drawing surfaces that I can pack into my kiln. A box of this design has in theory 11 surfaces that can be glazed and drawn upon. Of course with each drawing that is added so does the chance of a goof in posture, or too much oxide loaded onto the brush. The loss rate is huge due to oxide runs, stuck lids, bad drawings, glaze faults, etc. etc. but I'm slowly winning over these problems.
