Fieldwork Japan

21/10/2024

Back when print was King, The Kansai Time Out was a must read for any English speaker in Kansai (Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe) The founders of the magazine, the late, greats David Jack and Sachiko Matsunaga, were also the founders of Fieldwork, my ongoing studio/study facilities here in Sasayama. Recently another friend, Dominic Al-Badri, long-time editor of the KTO, published an interesting article about the magazine, with a plea for a couple of long lost issues. It’s worth a read: https://www.osaka.com/culture/looking-for-the-lost-tracking-down-kansai-time-outs-missing-issues/

08/07/2024

My Journey with Clay: Lecture at the Flint Institute of Arts, Saturday July 13th, 6pm in the Art School’s Sheppy Dog Meeting Room.

06/06/2024

Summer Workshops -

In this workshop I'll introduce techniques to help the students make more free flowing forms. Working both on the wheel and hand-building, often combining the two. We will explore various ways to take your work in a whole new direction. It’s a great opportunity for students to expand and develo...

27/05/2024

Simon was so geeking on this stone that I finally gave him the cup. It is really cool; I threw the cup rather thickly then cut away the surface with a knife to reveal the stones. It was fired on it’s side, no glaze, in a quiet part of the Little Kiln. It has a beautiful halo where the wadding met the clay. I love the horizontal rip.

26/05/2024

I was watching my assistant Simon, look at a cup. He is a Grade A, First Class pottery Otaku (Which could be translated as clinically obsessed with something) He can get lost for hours in a stone imbedded in the side of a pot. Anyway, it got me thinking of doing a little mash-up series that I’m going to call The S**t we Geek Out Over. This cup was fired at the front of the kiln, upside down, balanced on a shell to encourage the ash to accumulate and when melted, dripped down to create a jewel (2 actually) on the lip. And I’m not just geeking out on the jewel, but also the contrast of the thick Shino on the inside of the cup, which didn’t get any ash and retains the pure color of the Shino glaze, and the outside of the cup which also crawls but then the spaces fill with ash. A lot to geek out over in this little Gui.

23/05/2024

I just finished the second of 2 firing workshops this spring. Both went so well. The first was a firing of the Small Kiln with a group of 8 young Australian potters. The second was in the Big Kiln. Great firing with a Fantastic group of people. In this divisive world I feel so fortunate to be able to work with people from all over the world, (This firing: Canada, Japan, US, Australia, India and Russia) Strangers coming here for the purpose of making something beautiful; they leave with a deep love for one another forged by the blood sweat and tears of firing the anagama.

07/05/2024

2024 Summer Workshops, USA

I will be doing 4 workshops in the States this summer. In June I’ll be in Mendocino CA giving a 3-day hands-on making workshop, followed by a firing workshop. In July I’ll be returning to my hometown of Flint MI to give a 2-day demo. And in August I’ll be heading towards Saugatuck, MI for a firing workshop. For further information please visit my website: https://www.johndix.com/inperson-workshops

21/02/2024

Zoom Workshop: Sculptural Vases

Sunday February 25th, 7pm (Japan ST)

Mom Monday February 26th, 9am (Japan ST)

These pots are created by combining throwing, slab, and coil techniques. They are dynamic but challenging forms to make. A lot of fun to make. Please join me fr this Zoom Demo workshop. For more info, go to:
https://www.johndix.com/virtual-workshops-1-1

20/02/2024

The new accommodations at the studio is really coming together. The scaffolding is gone, windows are going in, Tile and counters... And, in my best Tom Sawyer, I convinced friends visiting from Michigan that painting walls is fun. It's really looking beautiful.

03/02/2024

Gentle Reminder of 2024 Announcements -

In 2023 we received a very generous donation from dear friends Susan Kotulak and Ron Sencer, founders of the OkiDokiAnagama, for the purpose of building additional more comfortable accommodations. After consulting a number of architects we settled on a young local designer, Kazumasa Shige, who came....

29/01/2024

I've recently revamped my website. Lots of new stuff to look at: New work, New Zooms coming in February, And a new building on the property. Please take a look when you have time. www.johndix.com

20/01/2024

Upcoming in 2024 -

In 2023 we received a very generous donation from dear friends Susan Kotulak and Ron Sencer, founders of the OkiDokiAnagama, for the purpose of building additional more comfortable accommodations. After consulting a number of architects we settled on a young local designer, Kazumasa Shige, who came....

24/11/2022

Autumn Firing 2022
Thank you for your big help!