540degrees C and Cooling

Kiln is going to be used a lot these next two weeks, kiln is cooling now, but will have to come back at lunch time to empty and fill the next load as it is still over 500C.  I am drying things as fast as I can but the kiln can't fit everything and I am trying to keep everything in date order.

The Mural getting towards half finished, but we are low on slip so we might have to pick up some more to finish the second half.

I have to also remake all my biscuit pieces that I used, vases, bowls, cups and tiles.  I also need to make more pint pots, but the Mural is priority right now.

As am writing this my little boy is pretending to drink from my Doug Fitch mug, and when my nephew comes over he always wants to drink from my Hannah McAndrew mug, it is a really nice mug, but feel like a giant if I drink from it myself.

Fustrating Journeys

Getting into University can be frustrating, I have to get myself ready and the little one ready which is no mean feat as two year olds are good at putting the breaks on and then run down to his nursery drop him off run home with his pram, throw it in grab my bag and run for the bus. If I miss my bus there is an hour before the next one, once I manage to get the bus it is over an hour before I get in to Uni. I some times draw on the bus otherwise I find myself falling asleep. Yesterday was no different from normal, I finally got in after 10am and started filling the gas kiln I didn't quite has enough small test pieces ready to fill it so it will have to wait another day.

All my work in the kiln is matt titanium white with oxides, the piece at the bottom is some other students, it just is just coated in oxides, at lest I think it is otherwise it isn't coming off the kiln shelf.

I emptied another bisque kiln, the bisque kiln is bigger than the above gas kiln, I only had one shelf full in there but still ended up emptying the kiln with only one other person helping. this is all the work on my desks that is awaiting firing, along with a few pictures for inspiration in the background, I have never set in my office space to work, it is just the done thing at uni. By 11 I finished filling and emptying and spent a while preparing clay for throwing, kneading, diving into small balls as I knew I was going to make some small tea light holders today to fill the spaces when I do the large kiln next week.
I made 28 tea light holders all in all, (only 24 here) and went for lunch then came back and tried to work on a new project that my friend asked me to do, a clay fondue set, heated with a tea light, don't know if it will work, but couldn't quite get the shapes I wanted so they aren't pictured at all, will try again Thursday if I can get a wheel. That took me to just after 2pm and I had promised my wife I would come home early as she wasn't well, not the best bus to travel on as you get stuck on with the School lot when you get to the town before mine, and they just sit on the bus fighting and swearing at each other.

Got in around 3:40 threw some dinner in the oven went down to pick the little one up, ate then fell asleep on the sofa until his bed time, leaving his mum to play with him. Settled him to bed then went off to my martial arts class to unwind and blow off some steam, well everyone needs a hobby, mine is stopping people dead in their tracks then throwing them across a padded room, and throwing pots makes for a strong shoto fist.