この旅について
Jingshan Pottery Experience Class
Jingshan's pottery experience class is different from ordinary pottery classes. The class goes deep into nature, collecting plants and clay, allowing participants to connect with the source of pottery materials and incorporating plant painting into the pottery-making process.
Class Details:
Plant Collection: Participants will go to nearby hills and fields to collect their favorite plants. The studio is located at the foot of Cangshan Mountain, where the surrounding plants are lush during the rainy season. You can collect plants you like for pottery stamps and painting.
Clay Collection: Instead of using ordinary pottery clay, participants will collect local clay for making pottery. This process adds an emotional connection and helps participants understand the relationship between soil and pottery.
Pottery and Color Experience Class Content:
Handmade Pottery: Learn the basic techniques of hand-making pottery.
Outdoor Material Collection: Collect soil materials and learn the basic techniques of mixing and using slip clay to decorate and color pottery.
Underglaze Pottery Painting: Learn how to paint underglaze pottery.
Make Two Pottery Pieces (handmade and colored).
Target Audience:
Adults or children aged 4 and above.
Class Duration: 2.5 hours (9:30-12:00, 13:30-16:00)
Environment:
The studio is located in a small yard at the foot of Cangshan Mountain, with a dense loquat tree providing shade. The yard also offers free tea and fruit snacks.
Class Fee:
A/ Individual: ¥298 (2 pottery pieces)
B/ Parent-child accompanying: ¥298 + ¥100 (2 pottery pieces)
C/ Parent-child independent making: ¥498 (4 pottery pieces)
Jason's Recommendation:
"Jingshan is Guo Ying's online name and also the name of her pottery studio. Originally this was an article introducing her pottery experience, but I found it very special, containing more of her memories of Dali and her sincere understanding of the origins of pottery, so I decided to share it separately. She was worried the text wasn't perfect and asked if I needed to edit it. I said, 'No, it's fine like this.' The best writing is to sincerely express inner feelings, not to focus on technical writing skills."
"I believe Jingshan can provide a wonderful pottery experience, because in addition to teaching pottery techniques, she also conveys her understanding of plants, soil, and painting, all of which are integrated into the pottery pieces participants can take home. When we decided to join the pottery experience, she said, 'I hope this is not just about teaching children; I hope adults can also feel the beauty and joy of pottery.'"
"Her studio is in a beautiful and spacious yard at the foot of Cangshan Mountain. There is a clear stream nearby, and you need to cross it and pass a waterfall to reach the studio. The pottery-making process includes collecting plants and clay from the valley, which will be used in the final pottery. This will be a very special and unforgettable experience."
— Jason
Being with Things You Love
Jingshan
Many years ago, I remember my first trip to Dali was around 2009. At that time, the shops on Renmin Road were sparse and simple. I walked along, passing a rental shop, a noodle shop, and a shoe repair shop with a sewing machine. The shop owners didn't seem to care whether there were customers outside; they just lived a simple and leisurely life.
At an intersection, I saw a canvas sign that read 'Tushan Culture.' Through the dark wooden window, the inside was dimly lit. I walked in. On a low wooden table were a row of small wooden stools. A customer was kneading clay. The shop owner, dressed in simple cloth clothes and pants, was chatting casually with someone nearby. I sat down and slowly kneaded the clay. I shaped a little horse, with no technique. The shape was rough, hard, and plain, but I really liked it. The shop owner said to leave it there to be fired and then mailed to me, but for some reason, I felt attached to this unfired clay, so I wrapped it up and took it back home, more than 3,000 kilometers away.
This little horse has never been fired in a 1200°C kiln, but I truly love it. Over the years, I have moved many times, and many things are no longer with me. But this small, solid piece of clay still accompanies me. Over the years, because it hasn't been fired, the edges of the little horse have become chipped and scratched. Looking at it, I feel it has also been recording the passage of time, sharing life experiences with its owner. It is a recorder of time. Now that I think back, it's really amazing.
As I gradually came into contact with pottery, I found that I really liked combining painting—a way to convey life stories—with pottery. I may not know a lot about pottery, but through pottery, I have found a way to express and record life. Although I don't have a deep foundation in traditional pottery, through diligent practice, I have become more skilled. On the other hand, having fewer constraints and exploring new methods and expressions is also a pleasure. Pottery is infinite, that's its charm. For each piece's temporary owner (or creator), there are always some fragments of time and memories shared with pottery. Cheerful colors or the tactile sensation of soft, simple forms evoke memories of certain moments.
I want to use pottery as a camera, to be a craftsman who records life with heart. It is also a silent companion that accompanies you throughout life.
Finally, I hope everyone can find the time they are willing to invest in ordinary life.
Learning Scenes:
Learning space and pottery and painting
Students collecting clay
Photos and
