Update on kiln and Freda the head-a

I nearly bought a kiln today. Nearly, but not quite. I've been looking for something that doesn't require a forklift truck to lift it, but has plenty of room inside! A lot of the kilns for sale on ebay were either too big on the outside or too small on the inside.

I went to see a kiln on Sunday and I have been soo undecided since then. The kiln was a great price at £200 but very old and bulky, although still in good working order. It's so hard to resist a bargain! And that's why I have been so undecided. I still can't make up my mind if I am being a snob if I refuse it or impatient if I go ahead and buy it. It's true, it's not very attractive to look at, but I think it's the external size that bothers me mainly, and the weight.

In the mean time I saw a fantastic model on ebay - a top loading kiln with a bigger chamber than any of the others I had seen. But unfortunately I was outbid at the last minute. :(

So now I am trying to be patient. I feel much happier knowing that I have a plan that includes buying a kiln of my own, once the right one comes along. Part of me says I must be out of my mind! But I can't comprehend life without clay now, so it has to be done. :)


As for Freda the head-a (pronounced heed-a, like how they say it up north, so that it rhymes!), look what happened to her!!


She was collapsing under her own weight, so Scott helped me make a dowel.


I cut her head away from the shoulders, and she fitted very nicely on the dowel.


The clay from the shoulders had newspaper stuck to the inside.


I'm guessing this won't be an issue with the clay? Does anyone know? I mean, there's not much paper there and paper clay obviously has paper in it but it still fires the same. I'm hoping it will be ok, because I broke it up into pieces to dry out so that I can recycle it.


Back to Freda, I wrapped newspaper around the dowel...


...and then wrapped clay around it to form part of her neck and the support that will be under her bust.


I'd like to say I did more, but I didn't. I did try to improve the eyes, but it all went horribly wrong. Argh, those eyes!! I'm wondering if I should just move on and leave the eyes for now.


So that's all my news for now. Tomorrow I have my nephew, Lewis 8, coming round to do some painting. Apparently he really loves painting and has been bugging his mum for an easle and canvas!