I have to say that i am very sorry and i know that it has been too long and most of you won't get this because you probably have stop checking. We have been traveling the past week and just before we left was hectic to say the least. We went to Xi'an first for 5 days, it was absolutely crazy, and busy and wonderful all wrapped up in one. We got to see the Terracotta Soldiers/Army, Talk about mind numbing, wow!
We are currently in Beijing, yesterday we went to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, it was huge and we spent close to 7 hours walking around checking everything, wild to say the least. Today we got back from the GREAT WALL, (notice how its capitalized) it was absolutely beyond anything i have ever experienced. In a word PHENOMONAL! (if i am spelling that correctly). 3 1/2 days from I will be home from the greatest adventure of my life to date. Thanks everyone for following and checking up on me. Hopefully within a week or two I will have posted the photos from our last travels. Its been really good love all you lots and to quote Ron Burgundy "Stay Classy" !!!
Signing off from China
Kurt
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Friday, December 11, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
11-27-09 Rest and Recuperation
Today was a day of rest, a day of recuperation, and a day of relaxation and naps. I felt quite fantastic to do absolutely nothing, the whole being sleepy and tired the whole day wasn't all that its cracked up to be however. Tonight our current visiting artist, Melissa Mencini, gave an artist presentation at the Pottery Workshop, so we went to that, Tap Beer place, and home.
Happy Rest and Recuperation Day!
Kurt
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11-26-09 Turkey Day in China
How do you make spending 3months away from friends and family more enjoyable? Bring a little piece of home to wherever you are. Thanksgiving Day in
HAPPY
Kurt
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11-24-09 Franz and Big Vase Factories
Today we went to the Franz Factory and the Big Vase Factory which was completely mind blowing. First the big vase factory which was amazing, all of the pots everywhere, giants and fields of them. The kiln room was beyond ridiculous, the one kiln was 20 feet tall, it blew my mind.
Next we went to this place called the Franz Factory which is the ridiculously huge factory where they make all of these really "froo froo" ceramic works, I can't do it just with words and they wouldn't let me video tape it but we did sneak some photos. Phenomenal to say the least.
Holla atcha all
Kurt
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11-23-09 JCI Faculty and Student shows
Today after language and culture class in the morning we went to the international office and there were two big exhibitions of work in two different galleries. One was a student show that was a mix of undergraduate and graduate works, some really talented people for sure. The second was a faculty show, there were easily a couple hundred pieces of work in the show, it was pretty fantastic for sure.
Hooray for art!
Kurt
Windows 7: I wanted simpler, now it's simpler. I'm a rock star.
11-22-09 Sanbao, Gaoling Mt., and more
Sunday nov 22
Today was a great day, me and Tom decided that it was a good idea to wake up late to go on a group field trip, OOPS! Anyway we went to
Then we went to Sanbao for lunch and visited the workshop there. It was really fun to see and there was a group of artists from
Later
Kurt
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Monday, November 23, 2009
11-21-09 Takeshi's Lecture and shelves
Today was a pretty tame but really great day except for the fact that a small group of us ended up cleaning and grinding all of the shelves, that was supposed to be a group project. Such is life, i think we are all happy that its done. This evening we went to Takeshi Yasuda's artist lecture/demonstration which was really great. Remind me and i have the entire thing on video, its more than worth your time as an artist or idea creater. It was a really good night and to the weekend we go.
Create something great!
Kurt
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Create something great!
Kurt
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Sunday, November 22, 2009
Continued from Downtown....
Today we went downtown to visit some of the little antique porcelain markets and then took a motorcycle taxi, which i video'd the entire thing. We found this old poster shop that had all of these old communist propoganda posters. Then we got to see this lotus pond that is located downtown and it is super beautiful.
Windows 7: It works the way you want. Learn more.
Windows 7: It works the way you want. Learn more.
11-20-09 Trip to Downtown and work late
Today we had class again because its a Friday and we had to all bundle up super warm and layered in clothes. It was a good day and that evening I decided to try and get motivated and make some pots, I did, but to do so we have to boil water to put in our throwing water, to make it warm.
Holla from China
Kurt
Bing brings you maps, menus, and reviews organized in one place. Try it now.
Holla from China
Kurt
Bing brings you maps, menus, and reviews organized in one place. Try it now.
11-19-09 Bread and Warmth
So it has been very very cold of late and so we have been very unproductive of late consequently because we have been instead just trying to keep warm. Dan decided to be awesome and bake some real bread which was super delicious. Then Jufang and him gave a slide talk about their work and about this awesome arts community Rochester Folk Arts Guild also www.rfag.org you should check it out.
check ya later
Kurt
Bing brings you maps, menus, and reviews organized in one place. Try it now.
check ya later
Kurt
Bing brings you maps, menus, and reviews organized in one place. Try it now.
11-17 to 11-18-09 Gallery 1 Exhibition
So pretty much all of tuesday was spent preparing for the gallery exhibition that we had courtesy of Li Chao, who made it all happen, at Gallery 1 in downtown Jingdezhen. It was really great to be able to see everyone's work in the gallery, everything looked fantastic.
Wednesday we played football for an hour or so and bumbled around the studio for the early part of the afternoon and went downtown to try and find some clothes for me. Then it was the opening a th Gallery, everything was really good, I know that everyone was quite happy with how all things turned out.
Out like a light
Kurt
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Wednesday we played football for an hour or so and bumbled around the studio for the early part of the afternoon and went downtown to try and find some clothes for me. Then it was the opening a th Gallery, everything was really good, I know that everyone was quite happy with how all things turned out.
Out like a light
Kurt
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11-16-09 Birthday in China
Monday we went to this porcelain museum to be the "American Tourists" (i want to heavily emphasize the quotation marks) they literally just took film with us standing around pretending to listen to their tour guide. It was interesting for sure. Then we found Gallery 1 which is the gallery which we are going to have a show and checked it out, it looks awesome and i know we are very excited.
It Just so happens that today is also my birthday, it came a little earlier this year as we are some 14 ahead :) We went to the tea house for some tea and then we went to the place where they have tap beer, its fantastic, and had more than our share of beers, and made some new friends.
Holla
Kurt
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It Just so happens that today is also my birthday, it came a little earlier this year as we are some 14 ahead :) We went to the tea house for some tea and then we went to the place where they have tap beer, its fantastic, and had more than our share of beers, and made some new friends.
Holla
Kurt
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11-15-09 Sunday Wood Kiln Unload
Well here it is what you all are waiting for, unload and photos of course. I believe the exact quote that someone said was "it looks like a poop grenade exploded and hit all the pots" (i have that on video) Actually we ended up having quite a few nice pots come out of the firing although different than we had hoped for. With the lower temperature firing many of the glazes didn't fully mature but all in all I think it was ok. Peace and Loves
Kurt
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Kurt
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Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Vase finally done! My EMAIL ADDY
That vase that i had shown a picture of is finally as well as a couple of other things so take a quick peek and tell me what you think.
For all of you that don't have my email and wanna get a hold of me its napoleondd86@hotmail.com Feel free to shoot me an email however long or short i read them all and really enjoy getting them if you want to send them.
Xie Xie (thank you)
Kurt
Windows 7: It works the way you want. Learn more.
For all of you that don't have my email and wanna get a hold of me its napoleondd86@hotmail.com Feel free to shoot me an email however long or short i read them all and really enjoy getting them if you want to send them.
Xie Xie (thank you)
Kurt
Windows 7: It works the way you want. Learn more.
Saturday evening with Qiyi and friends
On saturday evening me and Jufang went to visit a friend of mine named Qiyi (chee yee) who is super awesome. We went to his place which is the entire basement of an apartment, cement floors except his room. I will go back and take photos because my explanation is not doing justice but i can tell you that the view he wakes up to in the morning is simply breath taking. Oh and he built his own wood kiln in his place as well We had tea at his place and then went to a restaurant for "hot pot" which is basically a hot-plate in the middle of the table and they bring all of these different foods and you put it into the boiling broth. It was a really good time
Peace Love and Harmony
Kurt
Windows 7: I wanted simpler, now it's simpler. I'm a rock star.
Peace Love and Harmony
Kurt
Windows 7: I wanted simpler, now it's simpler. I'm a rock star.
11-12-09 to 11-14-09 Wood Kiln Round 2
Well what do you know its still raining! and we are loading the wood kiln. It was a fiasco from the begining with all the rain, we burnt a lot of wood that was really really wet but these things happen to say the least. He started loading later than we had wanted to but this happens when people are glazing when loading should be happening, myself included. We had it loaded by 230am and had it bricked up by 4 am. All together it fired for 37 hours, we didn't get it to the temp that we had wanted partially due to the wet wood and we also ran out of wood all together, except for some pieces that needed to be split as they wouldn't fit through the stoke hole. Needless to say the last portion of the firing was a tired one. We ended up quiting on a low note, with low expectations of results.
love from the land of the Red
Kurt
Windows 7: It works the way you want. Learn more.
love from the land of the Red
Kurt
Windows 7: It works the way you want. Learn more.
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