Saturday 16 May 2020

My self decorated miniature porcelain. (No workshop due to Covid-19) :-(

Hello my friends, As you all may know I love porcelain. As well as 1:1 as in miniature. Today I would have attended my fifth workshop given by Cocky Wildschut. I have learned so much from her, but there is a lot more to learn yet. 

However, todays workshop was cancelled (well in advance) due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Having lost a good friend to Covid-19 I take this disease very seriously. I totally agree with the cancelation of the workshop, but when my calender told me  that today would have been the day, that made me a little sad. 

So what to do? Without anything new to show you, I decided to make a little overview of the items that I have decorated in the last 4 workshops I did attend. Memories of four happy days! 


In the first two workshops I decorated the items in the picture below. They are partly chosen by Cocky in order to teacht certain techniques. The plate with the bird and the blue bowl were pieces I decorated myself using those techniques.

 

The bowl and two plates on the left were assignments to learn the basics of  porcelain painting. The bowl and the plate on the right were my own choices. The small polychrome plate was the first miniature plate that I decorated and in the back of my head I had that nagging feeling that I had seen the plate before. I could just have asked about it? Cocky would have told me. But when I was rummaging through my books on miniatures I came across this familiar photo!


The little plate with the red flowering tree and the little blue stream is a design based on one of the plates that stand on the mantle shelf in the large kitchen of Petronella Oortmans babycabinet in the rijksmuseum. Petronella has 9 of these plates on that shelf. They are called Arita ware or Kakiemon ware which is a type of Japanese porcelain. And then I knew that I wanted a series of those little Kakiemon plates for Huis ter Swinnendael!



The blue and white decorated porcelain is very classic and desirable, but it is not the only porcelain that was collected.  I wanted to make a small collection of these Arita plates. In the third workshop I asked Cocky if I could make more of this type of plate. But I did not want to make six more plates that look the same as the first one. So I took the Original design where the tree stands in the middle, (named M.) And drew two alternative designs in the same style. With the tree on the left (named L.) and with the tree standing on the right (named R.)Than I drew a few more of these basic designs to get it in my fingers.



And here is the result. Seven plates with three basic designs. The biggest difference between them is the placement of the red blossoms on the branches. They differentiate the look of the plate and on the first glance they all look different although they have three basic designs. This is also the case on the 17th century ones. I am happy with the result. I plan on placing them on the mantle shelf of the fireplace in the stewards office.


The next item is this large plate. The photo was taken just before it went into the pottery kiln. It has a decoration of a deer and a stag and is heavily decorated. In the left pic I put on the decorations with pen. In the second I filled certain surfaces with the brush or used the brush to add shades.  The shading was done in the fourth workshop after the penned design had already been fired in the kiln.


The remainder of the workshop I used on decorating a few vases. They are not ready yet, I have to finish them in a next workshop but you can see where I am going with these. I had a lot of fun following the workshop . Cocky, her husband Rien and the other participants are all so very nice. It was another well spent afternoon.

I hope that a vaccin is found soon so that the world can become normal again. And when the workshops are resumed, I will have a lot of ideas for new items. :-) 

Well that's it for now. I hope you have enjoyed this little post. Till next time!

Huibrecht





21 comments:

  1. Dear Huibrecht.
    I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your dear friend. This virus, I fear is sadly going to be causing a lot of sadness and angst for some time yet.
    Your porcelain is divine. I love the little collection of Arita plates with the cheerful red blossom in the cherry trees and the large deer and stag platter is just so delicate and beautiful.
    Stay safe,
    Anna X

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    1. Dear Anna,

      Thank you for your kind message. I apreciate it. Lets hope that we get that virus under controll soon!

      And I am happy that you like the Arita plates. thank you.

      Huibrecht

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  2. Hi Huibrecht! I LOVE your painted porcelain! I am so envious that you could take these workshops... even though one has been cancelled for now. It is such a Fine Art that you are learning... and your skill is obvious!
    It is sad that the virus is taking such a toll. Stay safe and stay well!

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    1. Yes I am very happy to have found these workshops. If only I could afford a second hand ceramic oven! It would be lovely to try to make porcelain myself.

      You stay safe and well too!

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  3. You may still need more classes to cover all of the porcelain painting topics, but what you've accomplished so far is marvelous! I love every piece, and your designs for the Arita Ware are inspiring! I am not sure how such tiny detail is done so well, but I suspect that you are just very talented!

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    1. Thank you, you make me blush. Well every workshop Cocky gave me a rubbing pencil to remove what I had drawn. Because, it could be done better. And she was right every time. :-)

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  4. Huibrecht, gecondoleerd met het overlijden van jouw goede vriend. Helaas waart het Corona virus nog steeds onder ons, dus laten we alsjeblieft goed opletten allemaal, het veroorzaakt grote leegtes, niet alleen in families en vriendenkringen....maar in onze hele maatschappij.
    Ik kan me goed voorstellen hoe jij je voelt, enerzijds begrip voor alle maatregelen en daarnaast ook de teleurstelling van het niet doorgaan van leuke, fijne dingen in ons leven die we ook nodig hebben, zoals o.a. de workshop van Cocky. Cocky en Rien zijn hele aardige mensen, daarnaast is Cocky ook een echte vakvrouw.
    Jouw beschilderde items zijn prachtig uitgevoerd, je hebt er echt gevoel voor! Het is nu inderdaad vervelend dat je nu niet verder kunt nadat je al zo ver bent gekomen. Goed idee om die 6 bordjes hetzelfde te beschilderen maar ook met een iets andere opstelling van de decoratie. Ik dacht dat je met het links, rechts, of met in 't midden te plaatsen van de decoratie, je dit wilde gebruiken om de borden in een kast of bordenplank te zetten. Alle decoratie dezelfde kant op is dan wat saai, met jouw decoratie wat interessanter misschien..?
    Alle al beschilderde komen en borden zien er fraai uit, het worden pronkstukken voor in Swinnendael!
    Blijf gezond, wees voorzichtig!
    Groetjes, Ilona

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    1. Dank je wel, Ilona. Dit waardeer ik zeer.
      Het klopt dat ik de Arita bordjes op een rij wil zetten. In het huis van Petronella Oortman staan ze op de schouw van de Pronkkeuken. Bij mij komen ze op eenzelfde type schouw in de rentmeesterskamer te staan. De afwisseling in hetzelfde decor moet dan wat aantrekkelijker zijn voor het oog. :-)

      Blijf ook gezond en voorzichtig!

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  5. Es un trabajo precioso. Debes estar muy contenta con lo que has hecho. Espero que pronto podamos seguir con nuestra vida.

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  6. Your porcelain painting skills are Amazingly Fine, Huibrecht, and although it may have been a disappointment not to be able to attend Cocky's workshop as planned, you've definitely capitalize on her previous instructions to have produced such Delicate and Beautiful Work- BRAVO!

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    1. Thank you Elisabeth, I try my very best.:-)

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  7. I love your versions of the Kakiemon plates, and think that the variations are very much in the Japanese idiom. And I also love the blue painted ware; the ones you say you have to work on remind me of a very typical Dutch style of china which I remember from my Dutch childhood. I am quite envious of your being able to take classes from Cocky Wildschut!

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    1. Thank you. It is a privilege to take her classes. I started very late and usualy her workshops are booked well in advance by repeat workshoppers :-)

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  8. What a pity that the workshop of this outstanding artist had to be canceled - but it was the right decision in these days. I'm very sorry to hear about the loss of your friend.

    But it was a nice substitute to see what you've achieved in the earlier workshops. Looks like Cocky is a great teacher - but also that you have a great talent for this. Your Kakiemon plates turned out awesome.

    Greetings
    Birgit

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    1. I agree, it is the right decision. And thank you for your kind words, Birgit.

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  9. Prachtig porselein heb je gemaakt een sierraad voor je huis!
    Moge goede herinneringen aan je vriend je altijd omringen.
    groetjes van Marijke

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    1. Dank je wel Marijke. Dat laatste komt helemaal goed!

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  10. Dank je wel Linda. Het is zeker niet onschuldig. Gelukkig lopen in steeds meer landen de cijfers terug. Maar een oplossing komt er pas met een vaccin.

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