Talavera Pottery

Around 1500, the Spanish began making beautiful, hand-painted Talavera pottery. The Spanish monks liked the pottery so much that they introduced it to their new colony in Mexico. The people of Puebla, Mexico perfected the technique and today they are famous for their Talavera pottery.

A Mexican or Spanish artisan begins by kneading together two different types of clay. The clay air-dries until it can be molded into shapes. The artisan then shapes the clay with his hands, on a pottery wheel, or in a mold. The pottery air-dries some more and then is fired in a kiln. Next, the artisan glazes the pottery and then hand-paints it using six specific colors (red, green, black, brown, blue, and yellow). Finally, the pottery is fired again.

This is a long and complex process, as you can see. People love Talavera pottery and are willing to pay a lot of money for it. Because of this, some people in Mexico began making fake Talavera pottery. Real Mexican Talavera artisans have to pass tests twice a year. They also have to follow certain rules and sign every piece of pottery they make.

Click here for some examples of Talavera pottery.

Tomorrow I’ll show you how to make your own coasters inspired by Talavera pottery.

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The Paper Crane by Molly Bang

You learned yesterday that the Japanese consider paper cranes to be lucky. In The Paper Crane, Molly Bang tells a wonderful story a one family who experiences the luck of a paper crane.

The family’s once successful restaurant is not doing well. A highway has been built very near the restaurant and now cars just drive by. People don’t come in to eat anymore. One day a stranger comes in and the restaurant owner serves him a meal. To repay the owner for his kindness, the stranger folds a paper crane out of a napkin. When the crane comes to life the restaurant is suddenly very popular. Everyone wants to see the paper crane that has come to life!

The illustrations are perfect for the book. Molly Bang created paper collages and then photographed them. These images became the illustrations.

I hope you enjoy this picture book as much as I do!

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Origami Masters

Now that you have folded some of your own origami, take a look at the art of some origami masters. I have no idea how they do it, but it’s incredible.

Robert J. Lang’s origami looks more realistic than a lot of clay sculpture that I’ve seen. I especially like the humming bird and the people. Click through the list on the left side of screen so you don’t miss anything.

Above are some of the origami books that Robert J. Lang has put out.

Kamiya Satoshi folds huge sheets of paper into complex creatures such as dragons and whales. Check out this 4 minute video to see Satoshi at work. Please note the video is in Japanese and sped up. It’s pretty cool, though. Satoshi begins with a 70cm. by 70cm. square piece of paper and ends with a phoenix.

Enjoy!

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Origami

Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding. You have probably seen paper cranes before, and I’m sure you’ve folded a paper airplane. Both paper cranes and paper airplanes are origami (but that doesn’t mean you should play with either in class!).

The Chinese had paper long before the Japanese. Sometime after 500AD the Chinese introduced the paper to the Japanese. It wasn’t long before they began folding paper into art.

Origami became very important to the Japanese. Origami folded around dried meat was often attached to gifts. This origami, called noshi, was thought to bring luck.

Origami plays a part at some Japanese weddings, too. Origami butterflies are placed on wine bottles to represent the bride and groom.

The best-known origami legend has to do with paper cranes. It is believed that if you fold 1000 paper cranes, one of your wishes will be granted. It would take a long time to fold 1000 paper cranes but the result would be beautiful. And who knows, maybe one of your wishes will come true!

Fold your own origami cranes, butterflies, paper airplanes, and more at this great site!

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Berthe Morisot

Berthe Morisot was born in 1841 to a wealthy government official. When Morisot was 11, her family moved to Paris. Because her father was important, and because the family had money, Morisot and her two sisters received proper education. They had tutors for many subjects including art.

Berthe Morisot and her sister Edma both showed artistic talent and decided to become painters. Though very few women became professional painters in the 1800s, the sisters were encouraged by their family.

The young women painted side-by-side until Edma got married and decided to become a fulltime mother.
Berthe Morisot showed her work at the Paris Salon each year for nine years. She met Manet. She posed for him and the two painters learned many things from each other.

Morisot then made friends with several Impressionist painters and became an Impressionist herself. Morisot showed her work with the Impressionists until the final exhibition in 1886. She missed only one of the eight Impressionist exhibitions.

When she was 33, Morisot married Edouard Manet’s brother, Eugene. They had a daughter, Julie, who became Morisot’s favorite subject to paint. After Eugene died, Julie and her mother painted side-by-side.

Morisot died in 1895.
Berthe Morisot, like Mary Cassatt, painted a lot of family scenes. Most of her paintings show women and children. She used quick brush strokes, in the Impressionist style, and preferred light colors. You won’t see black in Morisot’s paintings, though there are sometime touches of dark grey, dark blue, or dark green.

The paintings above, in order, are The Cradle, Reading, and Lady at her Toilette.

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