The Wind

The wind here is non stop, it has a way of getting into your skull and behind your eyes. The house is rattling and the trees are bent double. It's as if the ocean waves are continuously crashing down on my head.

Collage from my sketchbook, * Painting; 'Inmates at the Salpetriere asylum in Paris in 1795,' by Tony Robert-Fleury

Little Figure

I have been attending a ceramics night course these past few weeks. Here is the result, at least so far, as I have one or two more bits to finish. Am quit happy with this little figure, another take off from my feral and kodama series.

 The start of the piece, the basic base were grated clay is built up

Kodam before the first firing and before the glaze firing

Crooked Home (271)

271 people or there about's will have their homes repossessed by the banks in Limerick because they cannot pay their mortgage, around 7000 people will loose their homes in the Republic of Ireland.
The number varies from were you read or listen..

Families will have their world turned upside down.

Crooked House (271)

     

This piece is a small crude pit fired ceramic sculpture…My response to the housing crisis in Ireland.

Ugly Bowls

Because everyone needs an ugly bowl in their home….

Hand built Pit-fired bowls; decorative use only not for food stuff.

Small bowls…………4 euro

Medium bowls…….8 euro

Large bowls…………10 euro

Pit Fired Kodama

Here are the pit-fired sculptures, waxed, shinned and ready for sale. They are another version of my Kodama cones that I made last year.
These sculptures are 20 euro each, they are numbered in the order they were made and signed at the bottom. There are holes in each were dried flowers, feathers, ext can be placed. Please contact me if you are interested in purchasing.

The two below are not for sale as they were testers unless someone is interested in them, they are not numbered or signed.

Pit-Firing

I have been making small sculptures using the pit-firing technique; a way to fire clay at home without a kiln. This process has been liberating and has opened new doors that allow me to go forward and not be restricted by lack of resources! All I need to do is set up a darkroom in the shed and I will be sorted.
These pieces are for sale at 20 euro each. They are not glazed and porous. This first lot of sculptures have a hole at the bottom and several holes on the top so they can hold dried flowers, feathers, ect. but cannot contain water. They have been polished with wax.
I am going to experiment with the next lot in hopes that they will house terrarium type plants.
Below are photos of the pit-firing stages.

Before the firing

Setting up the pit.

The pit is built up with layers of sawdust, newspaper and such, then a fire is lit on top.

The Fire is left to burn for an hour, the hot ash trickles down to the bottom of the pit, heating the clay as it goes.

The fire is covered with another layer of sawdust, then the pit is then covered with slates, keeping the heat in and creating an appropriate atmosphere.

The next day the pit is uncovered and (very hot) works are removed.

Works after firing