My ocarinas!

Okay, so I mentioned I'm an ocarina maker, but I never showed you a picture of my instruments? Real smart guy you are, Panch.

Panch Alto C (A4 to F6) - Strawfired rough finish.

There are certain aesthetic values I prize in ocarinas.
Flowing, smooth roundness in particular appeals greatly to me - which is why I incorporated it into my design.  It just looks so... edible! I LOVE edible looking instruments!
I combine this smooth form with a rough and stony finish - often straw-firing them. A lot of makers strive for smoothness in their ocarinas. Glazing it, polishing it, making the surface flawless and glistening to the touch. While there's nothing wrong with that (and indeed, a lot of glazes and lacquers look great on ocarinas) I chose my combination of finish and form because it makes it look organic, and natural. Something that echos a smooth pebble, or maybe the remains of some exotic sea corel.

Another maker who employs a similar finish is Ti Amo! Have a look at these beauties!

Seriously, who wouldn't kill for a set of these babies? Amazing.

There's also something to be said about the appearance of the ocarina in regards to its sound. It's important for the visuals to match with the instruments sound personality, and for the two to compliment each other. Let me find some videos of my ocarina being played by the remarkably-talented Kissing88 on YouTube and you can tell me if I did a good job of it. ;)



The second video is too wide, so I'll link it to you. Watch Sam's ocarina version of Blessing Song (때로는 너의 앞에 - 축복송) here!

Now, I best be off again. You lot all take care, okay?
I'll try to update this blog at least once a week. We'll see how that goes.

Bye all!