Fruits of the Kiln

These are some of the things in that oh so important kiln load. None of me art stuff, just the Christmas presents and things for my Casa here in Spain. It was a good firing and everything did what it was supposed to do. At last, after all these months I have a workable kiln again.Today I am working on a big pot for the exhibition at Zimmer Stewart Gallery, it is very involved and I can not even begin to tell anyone about it yet.

The Kiln is HOT HOT HOT!

The kiln is fixed. I fired it last night and all the way to the top temperature of 1107 centigrade! It is still too hot to open so I will have to be patient and wait until tonight or tomorrow. Eusebio (the kiln man) came as promised and slunk into the pottery in his incredibly handsome way. He whipped off the back and pointed to the offending wire which he pulled to attention with a tool and that was it, all done, the only business left to do was put the politics of Spain right, talk about his mother and then his inheritance and then his children. Just the usual stuff really.

I re-loaded the kiln switched it on and went to the bar to celebrate. The weather has been beautiful and where before all I could see were broken kilns and unfinished pots now the sight is clear. There are wild flowers galore and the new leaves on the trees. Here, a few photographs of the day…sadly though, not one of the handsome Eusebio!

Note to self; I must arrange my lemons and grapes on tins of tuna like this.

The Reflection

My pot here has been awarded a highly commended by the judges for the open art competition exhibition at Pallant House Gallery in Chichester, West Sussex. It will be on shown there as part of an eclectic exhibition of other winners works on April 29th - May 24th. It is 37 cm's high and made of red earthenware clay coils with a scraffito decoration in white and black slip. Link here to see it in the half way stages.

I will be in England then and will take photographs for the Extraordinary Exhibitions page. I wonder what it is going to be like, a very difficult hang I should think!

I am still kicking the kiln as I walk past it in the workshop. Got to wait until Sunday for Eusebio to come and fix it…if he can.

Found some Chocolate Tomorrow is Another Day

The Force Is No Longer With Me

The Kiln is OFF.
Big flash, a few sparks and the wiff of singed somthing. I am back to the extreme potting days. What am I going to DO?

The Force Is With Me

The kiln is on.
After major headaches with the power supply an electricista came round yesterday and just took out my 50 amp fuse and gave me a maxi-meter so that I can draw down more power. There has been so much palaver, back and forth to the electric board with discussions, shaking heads and sucking air in through teeth, I am stunned at the solution. It seems it was all so simple, I have a hole now where said fuse was, which is slightly alarming as there is (currently ha-ha) 15 kW cursing through it at the moment.
The kiln is full of cups, mugs and saucers for the house which I made last year and several Christmas presents which will arrive very late now. This is how long I have been out of action. Pictures tomorrow if they are any good and if I survive the day!
It’s a 9 hour firing to 1107 oC, sweltering (lovely word).

Fiesta for San Jose

It is not all work. This week has been fiesta in our village of Fornes. Beginning on Wednesday it is party party party right through to Sunday morning. The events are numerous with everything being raced; horses, bicycles, motor bikes and cars, but not all at the same time. Giant paella feasts are planned and prepared.
However, the fiesta begins with a solemn mass and the carrying aloft of large heavy statues through the dark streets lit with only candles and the air filled with incense (bare feet for those seeking atonement). The whole village follows letting off rockets and the band drums the beat, it is a medieval night to be sure.

In the mornings, and every morning for the fiesta, we are woken by the Mayor with the band at 10.00am arriving with the bread and the fish vans; it is chaos. And remember this goes on for four days! In the evening there is stage show with live music for everyone to dance to. The entertainment begins at midnight and goes on until the last man drops, this has been around 7.00am, but last night they went until 8.00am. Normally this is not a problem, but here the noise level is so high that you get to hear it, wherever you are, and that includes in bed!

Flat Fish Dish

Now the fish have changed. Half way point of the painting and this very shallow dish really lent its self to being a fish, the fish came first though. I have been giving a lot of thought to the ice in Iceland and what is underneath it and how the light is under the ice. When it is glazed this dish should be black and blue grey with flashes of white, although I never can be that sure until it is finished but that is the intention.
It is about 12 inches across not including the tail.

The Next Exhibition

Normal service will now be resumed. I am back in my Spanish workshop and getting the work ready for this next show in Arundel. I will post up images of work as it is made.