Some very childish behaviour!

The ceramics class started very badly last night but ended well with Pauline and two students helping me to get the walls of my building ready for an initial firing in the kiln.

But as I say, things got off to a terrible start. The removable window panels had all got stuck in their apertures and I had to run a knife around the edges to release them. Every insertion with the knife led to the entire wall cracking at some point. After 3 such incidents in a space of 2 minutes I let out a loud sigh which could be clearly heard all over the room.

Pauline the lecturer: "Is there something wrong, Tony?"

Tony: "No, because I'm about to chuck the whole lot in the bin and go home."

Pauline, in very calm voice: "Oh, don't do that. Let's have a look."

Basically, the clay had got too dry. The solution was to wrap each slab in a very wet towel and leave it for half an hour. Then return to the task at hand, seal up the cracks, and replace the window panels with removable struts.

The first crack is about to appear.

Rejuvenating the clay.

Ready to be repaired.

Unfortunately, such was the panic and 'all hands to the pump' atmosphere that I had no time to take photographs of the panels being replaced with the struts.

I apologised to Pauline for my childish behaviour.She said that I had sounded like a big baby and then did a very amusing impersonation of a baby having a tantrum.

On the other hand, she stayed late to save the model and said she'd come in early the next day to make sure it was all fixed and ready for the kiln. Worth the chiding, I say.

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By the way, while I was waiting for the wet towels to do their work, a fellow student showed me a technique which I intend to use to create a Parisian townscape background for my layout.

I've mentioned this before in a blog earlier in the year.

Her tiles not mine.

Tiles used as background.

Basically, one rolls out a tile of terracotta clay, brushes on liquid porcelain slip and then scrapes out the image that one requires.

Freshly rolled Terracotta tile.

Has to be dried.

Brush on porcelain slip.

 

Unfortunately, didn't have time to scrape out an image. But now I know how easy the technique is.


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Daily Mass this morning:

A few more folk have discovered why I nip out of the office for half an hour each morning.

"Say a few prayers for me, Tony."

I'm ashamed to say, I forgot to say them.

A view from my phone. The crucifix is from the old church.

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Last night's dinner:

Massive sausage roll and beans washed down with milk.

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Getting nervous about tonight's Tango class so calming myself down by listening to the second half of the Winterreise song cycle.

Some paintings inspired by the cycle: