NY based ceramics artist James Makins (01, August, 2007) New cups by James Makins (2007) It was one summer night, I am not sure whether it was 2001 or not. I visited James Makins studio in Tokoname, and helped using his brand-new electric pug mill (clay de-airing extruder). He said it's a boring work. But, to me, it was a new experience. And I like watching the electric machines working at factory. Yes, I found fun to work with the machine. I like that. While working, to clean up the inside of the machine, some small amount of clay was removed. It was on the small rounded table, I began beating this clay pile with various stick-like tools. Yes, I found fun to do this, too. Then James found me playing with this removed clay, saying "what are you doing? making some work?" Some "work"? No, I was just playing around the machine things and the clay. His pug mill needed more cleaning, so, the removed clay was getting bigger amount. It was to be put back into the machine again, but James did not do it. He left me playing with this clay, laughing. This is the story about my first two ceramic sculptural objects. In 2007, I visited him again, and found he is still keeping my "works". He kept my things for years, dried up enough to put into kiln. He was about to fire small kiln for his new cups. (I helped it a little.) He suggested me to put slight texture on the middle part of my "sculpture". The "sculpture" went into gas kiln with his cups, got fired, became a real "work". And here is one more "my" raw clay object. Being ready to be decorated and to be fired. I don't know when this becomes my next "work". James will keep this, I know.