BIRTHING BIG POTS: Creating Big Magic
(a women's retreat)
with Hillary Kane
October 29–November 11, 2017
(a women's retreat)
with Hillary Kane
October 29–November 11, 2017
Engage in a dynamic exploration of creativity, daring, and the art of finding one’s center in a two-week immersion combining skill-building in clay with a genuine deeper look within. While focusing on throwing and building vessels of substantial scale through a variety of techniques, participants will equally concentrate on the mental and physical relationship of clay work to whole-body awareness through daily practice of yoga and meditation, journaling and discussion, as well as excursioning into the feminine heart of Bali. Together we will ply the depths of the metaphor of the vessel and bringing forth creation. Channeling our creative voices and empowering our individual sense of capability, we will access our own bodies and hearts through the clay body in a truly transformational journey. This creative form of personal and spiritual growth engenders insight, and offers us new approaches to balancing our external life choices.
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29 October,
Sunday Welcome Dinner MOKSA restaurant
A
sumptuous meal, a moment to ponder all the reasons we each find ourselves at
this table together, a lighting of the candle of inspiration, courage, and
dynamism for the two weeks to come!
Our
exploration has been informed and organized around the Balinese tenet
Tat Twam Asi, which roughly translates as “That
Thou Art” or “you are a
reflection of me”.
As well, the five elements
as they are known here in Bali:
Apah (water), Bayu (air), Teja (fire), Pertiwi (earth), Akasa (ether)
will inform our journey. Both of
these philosophies we will use to guide us in this tactile exploration of the
ephemeral, eternal, elemental construct of Self and it’s tangible metaphor in
pot-building. Each day will be guided by
a concept and a technique.
Ends 8.30-9.00pm
30 October,
Monday Bwana Alit--Bwana Agung (Micro to Macro)
9am
Beginning: CAMPUAN (the Confluence), the
founding point of Ubud. Visit to temple
exterior and sit down by the actual meeting of two rivers.
Balinese
concept of our bodies as the microcosm, the universe as the macro—everything in
intimate relation and reflection of the other.
Meditation
and journaling: Intention, calling in the
spirit of creativity, announcing we are here, recognizing there are other
forces helping to guide us in this journey of life, place, chi lines, center of
activation, commencement, joining with the flow…
11am:
STUDIO—introducing the technical—working single forms: bigger, bigger, bigger, the
technique as illustrated from small and increasing to large—some formative
basic principles
·
getting
to know your clay: soft clay, groggy clay, how fast it dries, spiral wedging,
stack centering, using torso, opening with fist, singular large form, throwing
in bands, using rib tools, approach to throwing swollen form with narrow neck
small—translating to large…
·
Take
a deep breath: you are exactly where you should be—in skill, experience,
background, etc. This is your journey—we are individuals
collective in our support of one another.
Ends 5.00pm
31 October,
Tuesday Pertiwi: EARTH—deliberating the medium
9am:
MOKSA DOJO: Morning yoga, meditation; journaling (grounding energy, drawing
upward from mother earth, root cakra, primal, instinctive, returning to
childhood, basic, foundation, stability)
11am:
STUDIO Technique: Throwing in pieces, assembling
·
beginning
with a sample form or sketch helps, the base forms—begin a few: straight and
more flared; bringing up weight from the bottom, controlling the rim; setting
forms to stiffen or using hand dryer
·
assembling:
throwing next layer, thickness of rim, angle, specificity of measurement,
re-centering base, attaching and cutting off bat, sealing join and throwing
upward (inward first), set out to dry…
Ends 5.00pm
1 November,
Wednesday
9am:
MOKSA DOJO: Women’s circle—a directed discussion (The Courage to Create—informed
by three questions)
11am:
STUDIO Technique: Throwing in pieces, assembling (continued)
·
Adding
2-3 more layers to each pot begun day before, bracing hands when standing,
final layer and culminating rim, making aesthetic choices
Ends 5.00pm
2 November,
Thursday Bayu: AIR—the space within
9am:
MOKSA DOJO: Morning PRANAyama and yoga
focus with Ibu Jero Iluh Manis;
journaling
(intention, filling space with something deliberate, the form of the empty void
the walls simply hold, creating a more deliberate form)
11am:
STUDIO Technique: Throwing and coiling
Base
forms, concept of what is to come (shape-wise), Importance of strong rim,
technique to rolling large coils, soft clay essential, damp table surface,
overlapping seam, compression into base, less is more)
Ends 5.00pm
3
November, Friday
9am:
MOKSA DOJO: SOMATICS (the wisdom of the
body; transferring/guiding energy)- an introduction to somatics and Aikido with
Janur Yasa. Journal reflection.
Technique:
Throwing and coiling (continued)
A
wide-bellied vessel, danger points, determining widest point, narrowing in, and
in, and in, finishing lip
Ends 5.00pm
4 November,
Saturday Apah: WATER—the river journey (FULL MOON)
6am
departure: TIRTHA EMPUL: Early morning water temple- bathing, blessing,
clarifying
Wash
away what you thought you knew, let go your own resistance, flow like water in
your creativity.
·
Traditional
dress required (can be provided if needed).
·
Women
menstruating should refrain from entering the bathing pools, but can still join
the excursion.
·
Mekibung
brunch at Tirtha Empul balé following bathing. Time for journaling.
1pm:
STUDIO Technique: Narrow-footed forms, beginning form upside down, then throw
and coil, eye on graduation of form, how to widen, new perspective of
approaching any potential form.
Ends 5.00pm
5 November,
Sunday
FREE DAY
6 November,
Monday
9am:
MOKSA DOJO: morning yoga- inversions and balancing, challenge, daring,
releasing the fear of failure, leap of faith, repetition, practice, reversing
perspectives
10am:
STUDIO Technique: Beginning form upside down, then throw and coil (continued)-
righting the form, re-centering, supporting the base, continuing upwards.
4:30pm
WATER BLESSING: an afternoon visit to one of Bali’s High priestesses for a
water blessing, open forum discussion with priestess (Ibu Resi Alit ….)
Ends 6.00pm
7 November,
Tuesday Teja: FIRE—the creative collaboration
MOKSA
DOJO: Morning pranayama- kapala bhati;
surya namaskar quickening
Mid-morning
GENTONG ARTHA: Javanese throwers, traditional giant pot builders—visit and see
coiling plus paddle and anvil technique (scheduled demonstration)
1pm
STUDIO Technique: paddle and anvil (could be applied to either of the two
throwing and coiling techniques)
OR
12pm
Lunch and afternoon spent beachside… (Kommune Beach)
Ends 5.00pm
8 November,
Wednesday
9am
MOKSA DOJO: Morning energizing pranayama; journaling
11am
STUDIO Technique: Hand-building fast-coiling technique, irregular,
non-semetrical forms, sculptural approach, adding onto thrown forms.
Studio
time ends 5.00pm
Evening
(6pm) AGNI HOTRA: (fire purification ceremony) at Kasa Kaneyasa w/ Mangku Putu;
festive pizza-making in wood-fired pizza oven to follow
Ends 9.00pm
9 November,
Thursday Akasa: ETHER—the intangible charged and vibrant atmosphere
9am
MOKSA DOJO: Morning meditation—calling in inspiration, what do you really want
to build? Speaking of “Big Magic”, collaborative “genius”, “muse”….
11am
STUDIO Technique: micro to macro using a maquette to guide creation of large
sculptural forms; the essential importance of Clay Playtime
Ends 5.00pm
10 November,
Friday
9am
STUDIO Technique: combining possibilities of approach, finishing
6:00pm
MOKSA DOJO: Tibetan Bowls Meditation with PUTRA
Ends 7.15-7.30pm
11 November,
Saturday
9am—meet
at studio and then shuttle up to Sungai Ayung entrance (by Villa Samadhi)
AARTI:
River ceremony—“aarti”—the summation of the five elements and the art of
letting go
Brunch
(picnic catered on site by Dayu)
Conclusion
at Studio (photo shoot of all the big pots lined up out front)
Ends 1.00pm -2.00pm
Departure
*Lunch:
unless otherwise specified, lunch will be served, family-style, in the studio
mezzanine.
**
The pots we make during this workshop will not have enough drying time in order
to make firing during the workshop weeks possible. Therefore, upon request, participants have
the option to select 2-3 pieces to be bisque-fired in a very slow firing when the time is appropriate (could be
several weeks later). High firing of the
works will be at the participant’s expense.
*** This workshop/retreat schedule is subject to change before final rendition.
