To create a background for the torii to be fused onto, I cut and shaped a black ring to an exact 1/8” width, and then added a white circle that fit tightly within its center. I fused these pieces together at a full fuse firing schedule. I opened the kiln to an unfortunate unintended result: the post-fuse circle had…

Technically, I don’t take commissions outside of pet and wedding portraits. However, every once in a while a client will approach me with a proposal that tugs at my artistic inclinations too strongly to refuse. In this case I was hooked by a request for a Japan-inspired ornament. I’ve been intrigued by Japanese culture since…