For our first real post hurricane blog, I would like to introduce you to our next raku pottery vase ‘Kiss of the Dragon’.
Sometimes when you do a raku firing you get a beautiful and unexpected surprise! You can imagine my delight when I saw this beautiful creature emerge while cleaning this vase post reduction firing:
Tales of dragons cross many cultures from the near to far east, Europe, the Americas and beyond. One of my early memories was reading about the dragon ‘Smaug’ from ‘The Hobbit’ fame. To this day he continues to represent everything a dragon should be.
Smaug was an intelligent and fierce creature whose massive size was only eclipsed by his love of gold. Just ask the dwarfs, whose kingdom he laid waste to. Maybe that is why Bilbo cautioned “Never laugh at live dragons”. Given the power of these mysterious creatures, you would be wise to heed his warning.
You can see more pictures of ‘Kiss of the Dragon’ by clicking here.
I think J.R.R. Tolkein said it best – “It simply isn’t an adventure worth telling if there aren’t any dragons”. I would have to agree!
What do you think of the raku pottery vase ‘Kiss of the Dragon’?
Quick Hurricane Update:
I want to thank everyone for your kind comments regarding the impact of the hurricane this weekend. Once our utilities are restored, I will be able to respond to each comment personally. I apologize for not being able to do so sooner. We still have no power or internet access. It has been three nights and four days so far. Did you know barbecued pierogies are delicious?
Life from fire x
Thanks Christine!
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so glad you guys are ok!
this is my favorite piece yet! I absolutely love dragons and I can see it so beautifully………thank you so much for sharing this. Made my day! 🙂
Thank you so much Wendi! I am glad you could see the dragon so clearly. Sometimes I think I am the only one who sees these things. Happy my art helped make your day 😉 I hope you are well.
oh I really did see if perfectly! 🙂 and yes, it made me so very happy. thanks again for sharing your talents with us.
Life from fire!
“barbecued pierogies” That’s a good one. Kiss of the Dragon is lovely.
Regarding the power issues– too far away to be of any real help but if you’d like me to, I’d be happy to pull together a list of suggested “stuff” to have in advance of the next time. I’ve spent years perfecting our power outage plans and gear. Helping the girls with theirs so also know how to do it without breaking the bank.
Good luck!
Thank you Marica! Those barbecued pierogies were perfection. It may become a regular thing 😉 I put the cast iron pan right on the BBQ 😉
I would very much love it if you sent along a list. I have actually been compiling one of my own so we are better prepared for next time. I really appreciate the thought. Our power was restored today, so things are starting to get back to normal here 😉
I watch the weather channel frequently, seems there’s a new tropical wave in the Atlantic that may develop into a stronger storm. It’s that time of year. I hope they miss the States all together. That’s a lovely vase, I’d display it in my home. 😎🌴
Thanks for the heads up! I will have to look into that now that I have power again 😉 I appreciate the kind comment about the vase too – that means a lot. I hope you are well and thanks for commenting.
Your welcome! 😎
https://youtu.be/hzQdeSSPiXQ. The link is “silk road” 1979/1980 kitaro music-ed version. This is not episode four’s the dark castle… It’s the episode three art gallery of the desert. You may seek the fermented mares milk booze, the earliest yet again china invents the world we know…distilled beverages…. Or you may shudder at carnivorous spicy antelope dumplings being the displayed meal at “camp”. But this episode is art intense and I figure I might better gamble your complete interest with the good stuff ;). Glad you found a dragon. Glad you didn’t get blown away. These are hour long episodes… Bbq more pierogies 😉 please note the 1980 isn’t 2019 many of these sites visitation availability is different.
Thanks so much for the link. I will now be able to watch it as we have power back 😉 I am not one to shudder at how other cultures live and eat. I do find it fascinating, so it sounds like this will be quite enjoyable with that blended into the art 😉 I will be breaking out the bbq for more piergoies 😉 I hope you are well 😉
Like that vase, and david loves the dragon!
Thanks to both of you 😉 I hope you are both well and having a great week!
Thanks alchemist we are, we hope your having a great week also
With the power on, it is a certainty 😉
Can’t imagine what three days without electricity would be like- since I’ve lived here in Woodstock the longest the poets been out was 6 hours. Hang in there! And I like the blotograph dragon on the vase 🙂
Thanks for the encouragement. The power was just restored this afternoon and it has been quite the experience, but I learned a few things 😉 Hope you are well.
Yes I am and most importantly we have electricity and air conditioning here- which is good since it’s like a sauna out there 🥵- blecch! I’m ready for fall.
Fall is arriving early this year! We have had some cooler than usual nights in August! I am also ready to put our air conditioner away, just waiting to see if we have the usual warm spell at the end of September 😉
Lucky u! it’s like an oven here today – though not as humid as yesterday.
very nice use of colour
Thank you so much for the kind comment. Hope you are well 😉
Beautiful
Thank you so much Glen. I hope you are doing well.
I can’t imagine life without electricity. I’m glad you guys are alright though – that’s what counts at the end. I have no idea what pierogies is, but i imagine anything bbq would be amazing. And i love dragons!
Thank you so much for your kind comment Jina! We survived! The power just came back on this afternoon, so it was a rather long stretch. Pierogies are basically dumplings stuffed with cheese 😉 I hope you are well.
yum, and bbq’ed as well. I’ll have to try that!
I put them in a cast iron pan with some butter, onions, a little garlic and some paprika and a little bit of chilli powder 😉
Beautiful vase 😍❤ and dragon will always be the legend!
Thank you so much for your kind comment Luna! Dragons – forever legendary 😉 Hope you are well 😉
Glad to hear that you are all safe… 🙂 Love the new vase… it’s beautiful… My “likes” aren’t showing up on any of the posts (on any blogs) that I like… 🙁 but I do like your posts often… Keep on “pottering” 🙂
Thank you so much for your kind comment and encouragement 😉 The power just came back on, and I am pretty happy about that 😉 I hope you are well and having a great day 😉
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May I say I’m jealous? My teacher took several people to a raku party (very few have the proper training or facilities in our region). It looks so beautiful!
Thank you for your kind comment! Yes it can be a tricky process to set up properly and safely. I hope your day is off to a great start!
” Did you know barbecued pierogies are delicious?” 🙂 I didn’t know ! When I read that, I tell myself that you are all well and that your sense of humour is perfect. As for the Kiss of the Dragon …. it is of circumstance! Amitiés Barbara
You have to laugh in the face of adversity, for me it is a way through ;-)Thank you so much for your comments 😉 I hope this week is going well for you.
It’s a good way ! uneasy sometimes 🙂
Beautiful vase. It’s like looking into the clouds & seeing something emerge. 😊
Your comment is so on point for me. Is it any wonder that cloud watching is one of my favourite activities 😉 Thank you so much, and I hope you have a great day!
Beautiful vase! It sounds like you are coping with your no electricity situation with humor and creative thinking. You’ll have lots of entertaining stories to tell.
Thanks Joe! Without humour I would have been lost. It was pretty great to see how everyone came together, sharing resources and helping one another. I have fantastic neighbours! I hope you are well.
Loving the colors and the shape! What a beauty!
Thank you so much for your kind words Doree! I hope you are having a great week so far!
Lovely vase. My favorite colour.
Thank you so much for your kind comment Florence. I hope you are well!
Such a beautiful vase! The dragon looks amazing! I’ve never done any raku but have a kiln so I know about the magic of surprises when you empty it. 😉
Hope electric power has been restored again! All the best!
Thank you so much for your kind thoughts and wishes Sarah! What have you made in your kiln? Thankfully the power has been restored here and things are back to normal. I will be doing a firing today, so there will undoubtedly be more surprises. Wishing you all the best!
You’re very welcome! 😀 These days I’m filling my kiln with lots and lots of zoo animals the kids in my pottery class are creating – such fun! And a couple of yarn bowls too, because as you know – winter is coming! 😉
Happy weekend!
That must be a pleasure to watch the kids creations go from the idea stage to a physical reality and their reactions. Winter is coming … which I keep reminding myself I do not entirely mind, because there is more time to lay low after the holidays. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!
It really is a pleasure to watch that process! And the joy in their eyes when they come to the next lesson and find their creations fired and glazed is just wonderful too. 😀
I really love my workplace, especially since it’s always so warm in winter what with me firing the kiln so often, so that’s definitely a plus. 😉
haha! That is very true! The kiln does keep things nice and toasty 😉 I would imagine it is very special to be able to be a part of that magic.
It is! 😀
So beautiful that vase and those dragons emerging from the fog or clouds… And having a fierce dragon nearby could make a wonderful barbecue 😉
haha! What a lovely comment Cecile! I used to want a pet dragon when I was a child, so your comment about the BBQ made me smile! I hope you are well and having a wonderful day!
To be honest. my body is not good at all. But my mind and humour are okay ad I still can look atbeauty and recognize it. You know I did make a pedigree of dragons in one of my altered art nooks 🙂
ow dear, my neauralia did take a toll.. I did mean I made a pedigree of dragons in one of my altered art books. No nooks involved, although in one of my view-boxes I do have a dragon wing. It is seen from a window on a loft 😉 I do love to add things of past mythes in my artwork 🙂
I think we have that in common that we both have a love for mythology! It adds such interest and feeling to things!