Clay Pottery Making Under The Starfruit Tree-Belimbing Pottery (Belipot)

Beberapa tahun yg lalu sekitar tahun 2000,tiba-tiba saja aku diserang perasaan ingin sangat nak buat pasu tanah liat sendiri.Setelah 11 tahun dalam bidang fine porcelain.Akhirnya teringin nak try test buat sendiri.Kalau boleh dengan kos yg paling minima!Simple but manageable.

Masa student dulu aku ambil pottery sebagai subject elective tapi firing dan glazing tuu pakai

perkakas dept pottery punya jadi taklah berapa kick.Masa kerja pulak, aku cuma suruh saja,everything org lain yang buatkan. So this time rasa nak buat everything sendiri,with my own barehand.Pembantu kena adalah jugak!

Aku bersama 2 orang rakan Din dan Rani pun mulalah membuat dapur atau gok atau kiln betul-betul bawah

pokok Belimbing yang sudah tua di Kg. Bunut Payung.Dapur tuu diperbuat daripda bata merahbersalut dengan tanah beris bercampur lumpur.Bentuknya macam busut anai-anai.Mula-mula testing bakar dapur jadi retak merkah!Fikir punya fikir,tanya punya tanya... akhir dapat maklumat yang mengatakan mamak yang jual roti nan buat dapur pakai tanah campur air gula.Kami pun test... resultnya pun jadi OK!

Nak buat mesin pembancuh pula terpaksa beli motor dan ubah buat frame besi,belanja dekatRM 1000.00 barulah beres projek ni..Tanah liat pula satu lori RM 70.00 daripada Gunong.Yang hebatnya... tanah liat yang 70.00 ringgit ini sampai sekarang tak habis-habis.Sebabnya ...ini projek part time lover. Ada masa buat........ takda masa sejuk beku macam ais.Berbulan tak sentuh langsung.Sibuk!....maklum sajalah. Alasan......!?

Namun begitu akhirnya Belimbing Pottery pun diberi nama tapi kemudianya  ditukar jadi Belipot Kota Bharu sahaja.

Walaupun sejak bebudak lagi aku dah main tanah liat tapi dia punya thrill !!! Memang macam budak-budak jugaklah...Seronok tak tau nak habag!!Macam therapy...masalah hilang bila start main tanah liat.All problem gone with the wind! Sama macam buat painting dan jugak memancing.Banyak jugak design pasu yg aku dah buat.Ada jugak yang kena beli.Bila laku tuu..

seronok aje feelnya....

Koleksi-koleksi ini hanyalah sebahagian saja,yg lain tuu... aku letak kat kedai di Berek 12.

TRANSLATION IN ENGLISH.

Few years back in year 2000,I was suddenly hijacked by the feeling and urging sense

to create clay pottery again.After 11 years in fine porcelain business,the urge came in pushing

me to touch and play with the dirt.This time,with minimum spending and manageable cost.

I just jump in.......

During my student days in art school, I just take pottery class as an elective subject only.

All material and firing was done and provided by using school equipment,so it is not that thrill!!!

Same goes in the factory, while working....everything was done by somebody else while

you simply just give instruction and they'll do it for you. That is the case,so...this time I will

do it with my own barehand.... after all those years.

Nevertheless assistance was also on hand...

Two of my friends Din and Rani gladly offer their help in starting making the kiln.The kiln foundation was

done right under the old starfruit three at Bunut Payung village.It was made by bricks and layer of dirt and sand in the form of ant hill.

Right after the first firing,the kiln starts cracking and the walls loosing its grip.We just

start asking around on how to fix it and found out that the old Indian Bakery who used

to make the bread was using melted sugar mixed with sand as to make the wall tougher.

We copy it, and walla!!!the result came out with flying colours.

2nd, is the mixer,I had to cashed RM 1000.00 just to create a nice mixer with metal frame,

easy and small for handling.Also spend just RM 70.00 to buy dirt cheap natural clay more

than 7 tons in one big truck. Guess what??? The clay last until today and never really depleted

because my burning drive only last for a few month and then stop. Re start again and then

stop again.. off an on.That is why the clay never really finish....

Anyhow, since I was a kid, the idea of playing with a clay was like a dream came true, a thrill

of great sensation.There is not even a word can explain the moment you start touching the clay, you play around, and as a kid before this... you just never know how to explain it.

Actually it is like a therapy session.All problems really gone with the wind..just like when you do paintings or maybe go fishing...hmmm..

There is few design which I thought was beautifully executed,some of the good piece was sold

and I felt real good about it.The picture taken here was just few of the pieces and

the rest of the item I just put it in a shop nearby...... at Berek 12.