It Is Finished...

The heat of the day is over and the temperature is slowing dropping like the pink sun over Arita. A beautiful end to what has been a beautiful Ceramic Fair. I cannot remember tokiichi weather ever being as nice as this years was. I really don't think it could have been any better.

But it's over now. The horrific traffic outside my house is dissipating. Potters, ceramicists, sales people and vendors will all sleep long and well tonight.

"Otsukaresama" friends ...

Mark

Busy Weekend

Well, Sunday evening is drawing to a close and what a weekend it's been. On Saturday I spent most of the day at the Arita Ceramic Fair. On Saturday evening a collection of friends and weary pottery shoppers gathered in my yard for a BBQ/bonfire. This morning Dave and I were back into pottery mode, hitting some of the kilns who didn't set up a shop in the downtown area. This evening I have mostly been relaxing and wishing tomorrow didn't have to be as busy as it's going to be...

Most of the people in my area who are not working at Tokiichi seem to stay as far away from it as possible. I however still enjoy getting out battling the crowds. I think I may even be energized by it. I don't go to the to the fair to buy pottery as a rule, but it is a good chance to see the pottery that thousands of artists have been working on in a relatively short time. And it's a great oppertunity to catch up with the artists themselves. Some potters I see a few times a month, but in the past couple days, on the other hand, I have met SO MANY artists who I haven't seen since last years pottery fair (the 106th I believe).

So there are 3 days left. The weather (and therefor crowds) has been great.

I think Dave is schedualed to take some people on a tour of Okawachiyama tomorrow. I would like to pop by myself but I have a ominous feeling that I will probably be luck to have time for lunch tomorrow, let alone a leasurely stroll in Imari.

Mark