Ibiza relief on pedestall Parrot 

Parrot with consience 

cutted Torsos on sponges

Yeah, we are putting the bottom part of the mythic figure of a woman turning into a bird (made.... months ago, you have to scroll down for that) into the firing process!
Scarrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
So the top part is separated and waiting for it´s turn some time next week.
Therefore, meanwhile it lays on a very thick sponge, so the danger of deformation, or worse: breaking is present.
We also moved the parrot, but as we were not completely convinced if it would stay strait up after being cut, we layed it next to mrs. ladybird!
I just found out that I didn´t post any photos of that bird being ready..! So, hereby on the top: more photos of mr. Ibiza bird. Ibiza for the relief under it´s claws. No bad things meant by that!

On the background of the 2 torsos lying on the sponges, a ceramic stove.
A small one, for what we are used to install.
These stoves is what realy brings in the money in our studio, it´s a German traditional way of heating their houses and it resulted very affective here too.
Ibizas winters aren´t very cold, but there is great humidity. Everything gets humid. It goes into the clothes, the wood, the walls. The stoves bring a natural way of heating, without the humidity that other ways of heating brings along, and is way more profound.
Unlike the fireplace the stoves hold the warmth inside for days and days..... sure, they take a few hours to warm up, but then it keeps on going... AND: you don´t have to stay home to watch it!!!!!!!!!

2 torsos... 

Gargouilles, or waterspitters

Now that the michelin-man, or clouds/fire-guy is finished I have started the gargouilles proyect. Remember earlier postings with photos of my scetchbook?
There you can see the primal ideas.

...Just scroll on down...

I haven´t been posting a lot lately, because I have been working on another very vital part of the art of ceramics: Glaze !!!!
Usually I glaze a lot, but this summer, somehow I just don´t seem toget to it. Last week, however I had to do some tryouts for a very special red-ish brown. The laboratory of our supliers had especially for our customer set together the components and after getting the green light from those client, we started to paint some plates to do tryouts....
Result: NO way near the desired colour!
Made some mixes myself... burning ... NO, nada, noppes!
Anyways, for ceramists a very common story, for not ceramist a lot of ABRACADABRA and also not too interesting on photo...
So we leave it here, am going on to work on the gargouilles until holidays are over for the supliers so I can go and give them a Hard, Hard time! ;-)

Gargouille2 halfway 

Gargouille 1 

Paco helping me holding the top part 

Broken arm

As my ceramic teacher told me:
If you doubt about a technical possibility, don´t do it! The doubt is warning you that it won´t work!

And so... I carried on and..
the arms, which I made into 1 piece (so: 2 arms with a bit of the backpart) broke at one of the armpits!

Such a downer.
So yeah, this sculpture is going to be made into 2 pieces. No more trubble wanted

Half an arm 

Struggling

Oh, If I thought I was struggling making the babies head,
take this!

Me and my boss are quite sure the figure will not sustain the weight of the arms and head of the figure, due to the inclination....
So what now?
Making it in 2 parts?
One piece is ever so much more beautifull...
On the photo you can see left of the figure in the background those arms lying. (Like a big sausage)..
And all this comes with that it´s terribly hot, I am sweating cats and dogs,
and my boss is already 2 weeks out installing one of our famous heaters... normally those instalments take about 1 week, but this lady is very very demanding.
And I don´t dare to put those arms up that body without having him around to catch falling clay bodyparts............... Ahhhhhhgrrrr

Fire/clouds man evolving 

The figure...eh.. half 

Me working (on a pedestal) 

"Malamor" sculpture ended...so far 

Going on strong

The last week I've been working on that romantic theme,
also on the negative side of it...
The figure of the two heads... one disapearing into the other needs no words.
The smaller, inclining bust can't stand on it's own, I mean: when separated from the other it dibalances and tumbles over....
...
sad but true

Half the sculpture of "malamor"