Post 208 New bonsai pots out of the kiln

My last round of pot making was a little rushed, driven by the imminent schedule of my local bonsai club show ; the Redlands Bonsai Society. They have a great expose of the exhibited trees on their blog. I had a nice little Blauuw Juniper to exhibit but had been growing it in a pot that was just a tiny bit too long and just a little bit too pale in colour. These things really do matter, but more on that soon.

 

 Pot No 230    Size 420 x 315 x 90

First up is a commission pot that I'd really rather keep for myself. Its an oval with a rounded rim  and just under-turned convex wall. The glaze is a heavy application of a teally green with a really nice satin matt texture. I've used the base a lot but after 230 pots this is the first pot to wear this colour. It certainly will not be the last. The pot is destined to contain one of those classic olive yamadoris with the wide flaring base.

 This is a closer view of the glaze, one of my classic Nepheline Syenite bases with copper, cobalt, rutile and zircopax. The rutile gives it that little fleck.

 And then a three- quarter view.

 Pot No 233  at  260 x 200 x 72

The next one is a much smaller pot. Its a little square flanged oval in an offwhite glaze tinted with just 2% nickel and 3.5% titanium. This has given it an ever so slight greenish offwhite with brown fleck.

 A little while ago I bought a nice little Serissa from a friend and yes that is what this pot is for. This pot and a little restyling and I'm planning on a new entry for next year's show.

 Pot No 234  250 x 190 x 72

Pot 234 was made on the same mold as 232 but then finished with the flange rim and with the same glaze. I made this one as an alternative for the same tree to test the rim on/rim off dynamic. Rim on I think. It will always find a home.

Pot No 231  Size  260 x 200 x 72

I've made a couple of other pots like this little deep oval to house a couple of my tanuki sargents which is where they are now, but I just needed one more. Nice proportions in the hand and glazed in another of my satin browns.

 Pot No 232   230 x 170 x 55

This pot and the next were another rim on/rim off pair; both bowed wall rectangular pots.

The next one is the rimmed partner of the pair and the one that lead to the rush. Bisque fired on the Tuesday, glaze fired on the Thursday and into the show on the Saturday. Yes it came out of the kiln hot on Friday.

 Pot No 235   240 x 180 x 55

 Flanged, bowed wall rectangular, satin glaze including feet for the conifer. 

This was the Blauuww Juniper it was meant to house with the photo taken during the show. It came home with an award for the best in the 250 to 450mm class. Fairly slender but quite an elegant, open, finely structured tree when you see it in the flesh. Perhaps the pot helped get it over the line and that crazy rush last week was worth it.
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