Break for Nature

Ah... hello... it's been a while.  Life continues with The Nasturtium Fireplace surround coming closer to an end - looking super-good but have to remake a couple of the tiles... and there's always tweaking.  End in sight though...prasise be!  My client loved the last sample and the colours are coming out a-stunning indeed!

Anyway, on a quick break from the clay (please), I am giving you a quick wildlife interlude with this:

She was vying for my attention at my Mum's pond recently, with this young chap..

Nice to see a grown amphibian as it's been tadpole soup in there for ages.  I could stare into the depths of this wee pond all day.  Tis serene, I tell ya!

Sigh...

Anyhoo, that was enjoyable, now back to the grindstone!

Fireplace Tiles... a step closer to success?

Right then.... that was a long cliff-hanger. "And so exciting", I hear you shriek!  Well, I'm here to put my lovely followers out of their misery re the whole glaze-testing-fireplace-tile-scenario thingmie.

It worked.

That's it.
Mwhahahahahahahah. My little joke.  Voila.

Yes, I think you'll agree, and I certainly hope my client agrees, that this is much brighter, accurate and generally very bonny indeed.  Got some tweeking to do now I see what those glazes are like to paint with and I might just drop the red but generally... pretty pleased.

And since I overfired some in the bicuit firing like a complete twat (see new, over-enthusiastic kiln elements.. blast!), I'll have a few to practice on while I get it right.  Silver lining la la la etc - this is the attitude we hapless ceramicists have to adopt as we take another happy-slapping from the Kiln Gods...

Service Interuption...  I've just found a glass of wine I poured for myself 2 hours ago and FORGOT TO DRINK!!!!

*stares in disbelief*

Anyway, before I sign off to go and remedy that, this one-off variation on my Vessels Tile range came out right nice yesterday.

Just thought I'd share that before I go off and drink the wine and pass out  do some more important stuff.

Fireplace and life

Well, life has been so... topsey turvey and complicated lately!  All interuptus and not enough workus.  However, parents' health willing, I can get a smooth go at finishing some commissions for a while; and starting new ones.
Not that it's just the Aged P's that have been in need of my attentions; some deadlines and events just refuse to be moved! 
Like Potfest (see older post) and the PVAF Big Forum Weekend I was involved in organising. (That's Perthshire Visual Artists' Forum to yooz.) http://www.pvaf.org.uk/ for a lookie at what we get up to! 
I was taking care of the bookings and by the time it actually happened I had taken up self harming and was eyeing the modem with a view to ripping the wires out and hanging myself.  Really, artists are (generalising here, m'kay?) the most last-minute and dizzy group of individuals - I do include myself in that statement. Sometimes. Occasionally. NOT ANYMORE!
Anyway, by the time the Forum was properly underway and we were all feeling inspired and a-buzz with fab speakers etc, I was in love with the world again and even managed to be sociable till the very end.  And they said it couldn't be done! Pah!

However, all of this has not been helping my patient clients and the Fireplace (see earlier post) is still being created bit by bit.  It did not help that I got some of the maths wrong (!) and have had to cut a few extra sizes, but no harm done.  So I've been testing and, consequently, ordering glazes this week.

These are what the raw glazing looks like before firing and this was the first attempt.  Normally I don't do a 'finished piece' test but in this case, I want to see the whole look.  People who say "oh, I like it better before it gets fired" get a hard slap.

Ok. I like it better before it was fired too.  Actually, the greenery is fine I think but the nasturtium itself is too dull and muddy.  Having said that, my neighbour flippin' LOVED IT so of course, it's all subjective!  I don't think it's what my esteemed client is looking for, though, so onwards...

The next test is in the kiln and it will tell me everything I need to know!  Wish me luck.  I've used brighter, more compatible colours and added some more green so we shall see.  Listen out for screams of joy or horror!

Next lot before firing...

I'll get back to you!

 

Tired

I am seriously knackered.

This is why:

and this ~ the nasturtium fire surround:

 

(part of which I overfired due to new over-enthusiastic kiln elements and the ability to sleep through FOUR alarms!!!)

 

It will be lovely when it's finally finished though...

Also rather weary what with making about a gazillion of these for said Potfest....

...and one or two other commisions and orders which are in the mix.  One more whole day before the Potfest set up on Friday and it's gonna be PACKED!!!

Should probably check kiln and go for a snooze, then!

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

The fireplace continued... and more

Well... I've been sizing and printing off the individual patterns for each tile in this masterpiece... at the moment I'm doing the tiles randomly as the pattern runs through them... bit tricky as the fired version is 7% smaller than its raw counterpart, thus:

It's not a huge difference but I want each tile to join up as seamlessly as possible. Of course, the sensible thing to do would be to work on them all at the same stage and I've finally cottoned on to this amazing concept!

It takes up more room, is all...
If you look closely you can see the traced pattern on the raw tile.

As well as this, I'm working on various orders and new work for Potfest Scotland which has moved from Perth to Stirling this year.  Put it in your diary mmm'kay... May 29th to 31st.  Got that?
So not panicking about that at all.. uh uh... no way... it's gonna be aaaaaaall riiiiiight. Loads of time! *grabs paper bag and breaths hard*

Um, anyway, where was I??   Oh yes... a couple more items in progress...

Plant Pockets!!!!  Don't ask me why!  They just came to me and it's nice to make something with a bit of a 3rd dimension (barely!)  So, bit of wallpaper texture and they will have a touch of tubelining detail cos I just can't let it alone!!!!
They are firing in the kiln as I type so quite excited about that!  Below are a few other new things that are in there too. Squeeeee! 
(Sorry - that was unprofessional and probably not attractive...)

Lastly... and I'll say more about this at a more civilised hour  (ie. not the wee small hours like it is noo) 

...coming soon - an evening at Boo Vake, my fabulous Perth stockist.  On the 20th May.  Diary.  Write it in. Thank you.

Interlude...

Aaaaah.... here is a quick interlude for you... Perthshire Sunset Under Ash...

Pretty huh?  (sorry - that's two thirds of it... click for the sun part..)
Right, back to the daily grind....
I have now to bully some thoughts into clarity regarding my FLYING SLIPPER installation at Heartwood during this autumn's Perthshire Open Studios. Tomorrow I must usher forth a proposal about said naughty, wild, flying footwear in front of other artists and not make it sound either naff or twee. 
Being Naff and Twee in front of other artists gets your head kicked in and causes shame and embarrassment and a lot of toe-staring.
Hence... my slippers will be quite dark.  (and I don't mean, y'know, burgandy or something)

I'll report back after tomorrow.

Meanwhile the fireplace tiles are coming on but are still at the dull, plain, square, nothing-to-see-here stage.  There's alot of donkey work in this game- it's not all heady glamour and giddy kiln openings.

TTFN

Nasturtium Fireplace Tiles

I've been diligently recording various stages of my work recently so I can post them on here.... from new cartoon animal jewellery to a rather nice nasturtium fireplace I'm doing for a client.

Really anything that is around when I remember to grab the camera!

There will be eighteen 16cm tiles to this masterpiece and it'll be tubelined (piped liquid clay) with glazed infills.

Um, sounds good!

After agreeing a design with the client, I print each tile out and trace onto a raw clay clay tile I made earlier...nothing has been fired yet.

Good old carbon paper is all you need for this! Look closely and you'll see the lines on the clay.

then comes the part that requires a mightily steady hand... which I didn't have as I'd been glugging coffee as per!!!

Note to self... plan ahead wiv da caffiene. (I'll no be doing these in the mornings then.)

So, not too bad already... tubelining is one classy technique that is appearing like a rash all over my work!!! At least it's great until you get an air bubble in the bottle - then it parps slip all over your virgin clay.

Swearing is allowed and encouraged when this occurs.

Okay... said tile is consigned to the mercy of the kiln gods....

and then... voila.. clay is now ceramic. It's not the same, oh no.

Please note that I don't normally do one at a time! I'm using this one as a test... it may take a few goes to get the colour bang on at a later stage. That's a couple of soap dishes and a ring under there. Can't abide a half empty kiln.

Another episode soon in the exciting series of ' Work in Progress...'