Big day for observation. First, crossing from Spike Island back to the mainland, an old railway bridge.
Next, my hunting ground for fallen washers:
On first viewing it may not look like an area rich in creative resources. It took me a week of walking to pick up on it…
Can you see them?
In the wild…
still clinging on…
Then, once I finally got into the studio, the lovely Em was having some panels fired by Elizabeth.
Elizabeth is the only person ‘licensed to drive’ the kiln. In the background there are many examples of enamelled signs.
Em controls the opening of the kiln behind Elizabeth. Firing this beast is a two person job.
Elizabeth gets the lift out of the way pretty quick smart, and the door is closed, for around four minutes, depending on the enamel type, the substrate and the coverage/thickness of the layer.
The mother of all extraction units covers most of the ceiling of this small room.
Then to impress the tourist, they turned out the lights for the removal of the panels:
The panels are out, the lights are on, the room is warming in their heat. The steel trivet still glows a plum colour.
Finally, in amongst all the watching and documenting, I managed to colour up some washers.
Well, I de-coloured first. You have to start somewhere.
Individually painted on different faces. A little time consuming, and on reflection I’m not sure it’s worth the effort…
Small washer, grip coated and porcelain slip dipped. A nice finish, I think.