Taipei Pottery Class

Recently, I mentioned to Fred that I had a hankering to take a pottery class. I wasn't expecting much, maybe just an opportunity to sit at the back corner of a community college and fumble my way through with my limited Chinese.

One evening, Fred asked me to meet him after work in the Zhongshan area. He had a surprise for me. I had a hunch it might be a pottery class, probably at the Museum of Contemporary Art which was in that area. But my suspicions were dispelled when we headed into the shady little lanes off the main street. So curious!

The studio, when we found it, was a pleasant surprise. It is tucked away on one of the many unassuming, non-descript Taipei lanes with no sign, lighting, paintwork, nothing to distinguish it from anything else. It is not big inside, but the space is used economically and comfortably. Everything has its place. The walls are lined with shelves of work in various stages of completion. There are three pottery wheels, a kiln, a sink, bins of clay and glazes, and a work table.

We spoke with the teacher and got a run down on how the classes worked. Simply, you could come in once a week and work on whatever project you wished. He would walk you through the process. He suggested starting with the basic pinch pot and working toward throwing pots on the wheel. This was exactly what I wanted. The only problem was that he couldn't speak English. So Fred was roped into coming along as well. We signed up there and then, and started our classes a week later.

We've been attending our classes for a couple of months now. It is a welcome escape from the tedium and toil of the working week. Just last week, Fred took home our first completed piece, a vase. For an absolute beginner I'm impressed with his skill.

Fred's first two pieces were a mug and bowl using the pinch pot method. Great shape for only using his fingers and thumbs.

Finished pieces set out to dry.

I made a tea set for my first piece. I am in Taiwan, after all.

The tricky part, attaching the spout.

Little Cookin'

I've been involved in writing new 'Fun Time' lesson plans for Kindy. The last half hour of every Kindergarten day is devoted to 'Fun Time', an opportunity to learn English by doing. For the teachers, it's an opportunity to be creative, inject their own personality into the lesson, and have some fun doing it.

The objective is to augment and expand upon the English they've been learning, and also to provide a well rounded education by teaching and developing other skills like P.E., Maths, Art, Drama, Social Studies and Food.

I was assigned the Social Science and Little Cook lessons. Social Science was no problem, but the Little Cook lessons threw me at first. I'm OK in the kitchen, but definitely no chef. I was a pleasant surprise to find that when I applied myself, it wasn't hard to get the creative juices flowing.

Theme: 5 Food Groups. Make a picture of your teacher using food from all 5 food groups.

Theme: Occupations. What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be a dentist.

Theme: Natural World. Do you want to play in the snow? Yes, I do!

Theme: Animals. Yummy fruit peacock.

Theme: Space Travel. Watermelon juice rocket fuel.

The Bamboo Curtain

Fred started a new job a few months back, he is the Marketing/Communications Manager of an Arts Centre called The Bamboo Curtain. The site used to be a chicken farm until it fell into the hands of Margaret Shiu. She has transformed it into a friendly and peaceful venue for artists to create and share their work.

The goal of the venue is to promote cross-cultural exchanges in the Arts by providing artists with spaces and tools to pursue their work. Not only can artists use the studio spaces, but they can also set up a temporary home in one of the artists' residences for short stays.

It sits beside the mangroves of the Danshui river and the Danshui line of the MRT runs along the other side. The Danshui River bicycle path runs right by it. From the venue you can admire the profile of the the Goddess' face in the outline of Taiwan's holiest mountain, GuanYin Mountain, which sits across the river in Bali.

Secretly, I am rather jealous. I would love to work at a venue like this.

Bamboo Curtain is home to permanent residents Sunson Theatre, a percussion performance and workshop group.

A sweet little herbal tea stand set up in 'The Lab', one of the studios available to artists for residency.

Permanent resident, Chen Cheng-Hsun's ceramics studio.

Impromptu T-shirts

A hot and humid Sunday afternoon inside led to an impromptu screen printing session. Regular blog visitors will recognise these as a couple of my earlier designs.

T-shirt Party

For my birthday this year I invited friends round to my apartment to screen print t-shirts.

My wonderful housemate, Helen was a chef before she came to Taiwan so she provided the food. An amazing array of fruit, cheese, and antipasto. All the guilty pleasures which we take for granted back home, but are a rare treat here in Taiwan.

We set up a make-shift work room in our Japanese tearoom and people got busy sketching designs, cutting stencils and printing.

Fred acting as official squigee handler.

Marie hard at work while others observe amidst the finished t-shirts hanging about like a Chinese laundry.

Jason and Marie's designs. Designed, cut and printed by themselves.