So Ive been in Japan for the last month and a half doing this ceramic artist residency. Started making these dogs a few weeks ago. Thought maybe someone would get a kick out of 'em. You can see all the others Ive done on my blog plus mandatory Japan sakura photos and what not.
http://mairuzunirusen.blogspot.com

Im ashamed to say Ive only been to one toy shop so far since Ive been here. And I didnt even buy anything(no sofubi but some high priced vintage) Been working way too hard and havent had the time. Next month for sure Im going to tokyo... Im in total sofubi withdrawl right now.

Man Im gone from SB a month and its totally changed. I need to catch up.

-m

Hope you're having a blast Miles. You ain't missing shit down here, just starting to warm again though. . .

Hope you're having an amazing time - those dog figures are incredible - especially the skull-dog.

I'll pm you later.

Jim.

Wow. They are great. Love the Matango Dog and the Tanuki Dog.
Keep up the nice work!

I like this Matango dog!

Whoa. Amazing stuff.
Will browse it more tomorrow at work.

An unnon matango dog would be cool!

LOVE it !

Cant wait to see more matango stuff from you again

Thanks everyone for the words....
I just started having a blast last week(met a girl ), otherwise its been pure work. Infact last few days Ive been totally burnt out, been drinking alone instead . I go to kyoto for some release this friday. Any toys there?
This town Im in is a small ceramics town.. absolutely nothing to do. Basically its party every other night. Never have I partied so hard so frequently. If I wasnt already an alchoholic I will be when I return.

So Ive been making my own slips here(liquid clay). First time Ive ever used a black slip. The Matango dog is made from the black... Im gonna put a thin white glaze on it.... it will look like sugar coated devils food cake. There has been a huge learning curve here so I dont expect much. The matango head was a hand sculpt.. one of a kind.
Oh ... all the heads rotate too and they are toy chihuahua sized.

What's with that Yokia umbrella dude about back there?

your work is so great man... love all the dog variations on your blog.
hope you get to have more play time soon, toy shopping is a must!

Thanks!

So originally I had planed on only making Yokai monsters while I was here. One reason being Im in a group show in Ft Lauderdale next month which is Yokai themed. So the Kara kasa and/or Konaki jijii will go to the show.
I got burnt out on the Yokais though... I began missing my dogs and started making the chihuahuas.

Oh btw....

There is a glow in the dark glaze I tried using back in the states a few years ago but was impossible to apply. Turns out one of the head staff here actually invented the glaze and holds the patent for it. Im buying some next week. The stuff is insanely cool. The glow lasts like 7 hours... what sucks though is its about $300 for one kilo. Im going to accent some of these dogs with it.

-m

When you get back PLEASE make some more matagos with the GID and put me down for one !

I just saw that obakemono website on your blog. THANK YOU!!

i want a bemon cookie jar.

Haha yah be prepared to shovel out alot for it! At $300 a kilo its not gonna be cheap.

That Obakemono site kicks ass huh... I was starving for information in english on Japanese Obake. I only wish they had more!

I would be totally into making a bemon cookie jar... someone else has asked as well. Though.... I dont want cease and desist letters on my ass. The maker seems very quick to send them out from what I have read in another thread. Im already walking a fine line with my 14 inch Matango. If I did it I would only do them as trade same as the large Matango.

The work you're doing looks awesome Miles. I envy your being able to sink yourself in there and go to town on creating these guys. I can't pick a favorite. They all have so much personality.

Are other people there doing figurative stuff too or is a lot of it functional?

I can't wait to see them glazed up.

There is a good mix of artists here.. alot of fuctional hand thrown stuff but as well sculptures. Some of which Insanely good! Im totally blown away seeing their works day by day in the process.

Waiting for my glaze right now... I should have some glaze tests in the kiln tomorrow.

The dogs are really cool, but the Karakassa Yokai is my favorite!

I'd love to see your take on an Abura Sumashi, or a Nopperabuo.

I had had plans for both of those. Infact I had major plans for noppera bou. I ever had started sculpting them. There was going to be a whole squad of them... Salary man noppera bou, school boy, police officer, samurai... so on.. etc I just got burnt... still want to make them though.

Glad you liked the kasa

great idea! I would totally flip!

I can't stop reading that obakemono site you posted....I might end up making drawings or paintings of some of these ghouls and goblins for an up coming art show. I would do google searches for websites but never really found anything simple like the obakemono site...mainly cause I forgot to try searching for "obakemono" and would do seaches for "yokai" or names of creatures. I've almost gone through all the obakemono they have listed in 2 days and will probably go back and reread then entries again to start picking out the one's I will paint.
The sculptures you've been making are pretty cool and the good old doggie reminds me of my friends' dogs (part chihuahua, part jack russel, and part something else...they're fun and funny).

Any links to this site ?