This is my second jar reflecting two conflicting sides that may coexist in the same heart or in the same part of the world. Outside, a snake is constricting a crane chick, which is powerless. Inside, a flock of cranes, a symbol of peace and longevity, is crossing an ocean. This "Look Inside" jar is open to different interpretations. I will be honored if you could kindly share your thought with me.

I tried to come up with less complicated new products. I also wanted to play with textures, which would enhance an ash stain I intended to use. On top of that, I wanted to sell the new items at the Sculpture in the Park Show this August. That meant they had to blend well with the rest of my work. First, I copied a Japanese wood sculptor Enku's style, but sculpting cute standing monks no longer satisfied me. After failing to simplify my Little Buddhas, I said to myself, "The new products do not need to be human figures." That opened my horizon.

When I teach hand-building this year, I plan to have my students make "this is me" jars. The jar's exterior represents how others or society perceive the person; and the interior, how he/she actually is. Taking an idea from the project, I decided to create "this is you" jars. The rabbit on the first piece represents a person, who often hides or runs away from conflicts. Inside, he/she carries a turtle, which is a symbol of resilience.

I was excited to try a reduction and carbonization firing on my bisons. Before firing, iron based stains were slapped on them. Each piece was then placed in a ceramic jar with sawdust and straws. As the combustible burned off, the amount of oxygen in the jar was reduced, turning the iron into various degrees of browns. As the oxygen was depleted, incomplete combustion occurred, leaving traces of smoke on the pieces. This kind of coloring would be extremely difficult to achieve in cold finishes like acrylic or oil paint. I am very happy to experiment further with this technique. This is just the first batch. More are coming....

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The original idea was of a girl watching stars on a rock, titled STAR GAZER. I am changing it to a concept of something that is small and expendably numerous, but depending on how you look at it, it can be big and sparkly unique. Gazillions of stars are above her. She is one of billions on this earth; and rocks, countless. Yet, each one contains notable beauty. Let us nurture the heart to appreciate that. Please suggest titles for this piece.

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I decided to make one more variation of mother-and-calf-bison in order to use up the clay. Also, a bird was added to the back of each young bull. As I was not happy with how they looked in the photos, I went to check the actual pieces. They are about 4 inches in length. Because they are tiny, I think the imperfection and the inaccuracy are part of their charm. I can't wait firing them....

Photographing my latest has been squared away. My preparation for the Sculpture in the Park Show, which will be held in Loveland, CO on Aug. 13 & 14, is moving along. This piece is the cutest of all my Little Buddhas. Come to see them in person if you have time.

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Four baby buffalos were born since my last post. Each will find its own mother after firings. For now, they look handful to the auntie buffalo. Thank you Becky for your suggestion.

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These tiny buffalos rattle. They will be sagger-fired, which will bring smoky dug-up effects. With these, I've done the hand-building part of my preparation for this year's Sculpture in the Park show. The complimentary tickets arrived today and will be mailed to my customers and friends toward the end of this month. Please look forward to it.

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A figurine that I had created years ago fell and broke. As the thin clay on the robe was impractically fragile, it had to be replaced with something nonbreakable. I had never expected that the mixed media technique that I had been experimenting with Kit Watson would become useful.

Started to make a series of Little Buddhas. Following your advices, they now have teeth. Depending on the impression I go after, the feet are shown. The title has "Little Buddha" in it. Various emotions will be expressed, though most of the figures will capture delight or serenity. I am going to experiment with different surface decorating techniques as well.