While in Kyoto I stopped by the Official Shop of the Kyoto Ceramic Art Association. There are 210 members of the association, and the works on display range from one-of-a-kind pieces by dedicated artisans to work that seems more manufactured (but still beautiful). 

I looked for vases. My budget was certainly not unlimited. I took my time, placed the pieces I was interested in on a table and studied them for a while. My criteria was mostly whether I liked the piece, and also suitability for photography.

When my purchases arrived back home in the States after I got back it was like Christmas in November! As you’d expect from Japan, my vases were wrapped well, with each in an individual presentation box of its own.

I set up some white seamless paper, made a few flower arrangements, and started taking pictures. I’m sure there is more to come, but for now I am taking a breather: living with the ceramics, letting them sink in, and waiting for the time to be right to experiment more!