trina

Hi again, What kind of luster are you using? I cant imagine why it should flake that seems weird to me. I still would refire slightly higher 1020C if you have nothing to lose. T

The pearl lustre i sometimes use fires at 018 and if it gets over fired it just completely burns off. Try refiring last should burn it off and try again. T

guilt is a wasted emotion....T

Bianca; This is an old thread, but I still feel that I can respond. I just won the Canadian High School Art Educator of the year award.[Comes with a cheque of $1000.00!]. Anyway, everyone knows that class sizes of upwards of 35 are insane! A class of 25-26 is doable, any more and you are just babysitting. I have gone in the past to the principal and protested class sizes of 30. I don't think they would dare put 35 in my room. On the question of glazing, I used to mix coloured slips and we would decorate on leather hard. After bisquing, I would dip glaze in a bucket of cone 04 clear that I also mixed up in my studio. Now that I have been doing it for 27 years, I buy commercial glazes. You can get reds and oranges which I couldn't provide, and the students are happier, as slips are dull until they are fired. On spelling-I am Canadian. We spell a lot of words differently up here, like coloured, and theatre. Nuff said, Tom on spelling was that ginch or guanch . T

If you can get the book: Handbuilding Ceramic Forms by Elsbeth S. Woody it has a rather good little section about this type of mural and making interlocking tile pieces. T I just wanted to add http://www.philippathrelfall.com/. this is a mural artist in the UK whose work I just love. Check her out . T

Hi there, I can translate it for you if you want, when I am not on my ipad. I have seen these types of murals and it isnt really a big problem to keep them damp. The back boards that it is attactched to is normally something like fibreglass boards covering marine ply. I havent seen it just pushed on like they did, normally the fibre glass is then draped with burlap. then pushed on ,this holds and suports the clay. The clay is also as you saw about 10 - 15 cm thick. After each work stage the whole thing is covered with plastic sheets. It is fun to try it on a smaller scale using and easle. I think I have a book about it in the studio need to have look if you are interested.... T

I just love making murals.......T

Cool. T

my thoughts in your direction.... T

Hi there, I would make a plaster mold of the original then make a mold from that mold so you have the reverse and that second mold would act as a stamp to use on your flat slab. That way you dont have to fight getting the clay to release from a mold, your work stays flat and Bobs your uncle. T

I know you need a stoneware body that is very high in iron. I think that traditionally it only comes from a certain place in China. Not sure if the same kind of clay is available. T

Hi there, I have stuffed the holes with small sized pipecleaners that I wet first in water. Then when I dipped the piece the glaze doesnt stick on the pipecleaners as much, then once the piece is dry enough I pull the cleaners out and they take all the excess glaze with them and clean the holes again. T

Hi there, I run a small art centre so do this kind of thing from time to time. I would love to give you some advice but my question is: Do you need help with the marketing or actually planning what you would do, like a schedule of what people expect expect to happen. Do you have any idea of what you would charge and how many people would attend. Let me know....or pm me and we can do a live chat thing if we can figure out how it works...T

Hi there, search the web for Holland Handlebars or Dutch bicycles... you should be able ro find the part. T

Kinda petty. Fine request, but I wouldn't want to be ignored. I'm ignoring you. Jim As memtal health therapist in my day job, I think that's fine John. I'm analyzing you. Uh, just kidding. Sara Cahanin Thanks, Mary! Jim hahaha who's zooming who? T

I don't mean this to sound callous or judgemental, I'm just curious, did you really do this? Having just lost a dog a bit ago, I can imagine this must have been difficult. Thanks for your response. Let me tell you my story about my cat Xeno. He was my pick of the litter and was Abyssinian . I had him for 19 years-he was a great tabby tiger striped Manx with no tail-we were very close -we shower together -me every day he choose once a month. I have had animals my whole life and this cat was very special-he was more like a dog -followed me around and waited all day outside the potshop for me to finish up.-I bring home food from the sea and he liked fresh abalone /scollops and tuna with some salmon tossed in. As the years went by we became a close nit pair. He slept with me after his showers and always had a great attitude. As he aged he lost most of his hearing and when he was 17 he got into a tuff and had some nerve damage-I drove him 6 hours to UC Davis veterinary school in Davis Ca. He eventually healed up again. A few years later his heart started to get elliptical and smaller-eventually his hear gave out-but for a while i injected him with fuilds for months to keep him chipper. One knows the time when its time for them to check out.I knew his night has cone and slept with him and he died in my arms after taking his last breath. in the middle of the night. I said and had my piece with him and put him in our chest freezer for about 6 months. After xmas I curled him in a large bowl and fired him to-ash temp. My good friend Woody the vet gave me the specs-We have been friends for over 40 years. I had made my urn and will take a photo of it in am.I spread some of his ashes in his favorite spots like in the rows of corn in garden where he snoozed the summer away waiting for me to come out of the studio. I have a rough draft of a story about this cat with another artist who is great with cat drawing and some day may put this cats story to book form-I have about 7 ideas all going at once these days. as far as firing him (I also did my friend cat a year later) this ashes thing was not callous as I loved this cat more than some people. Bt you see I've spread both my brothers ashes as well as both parents and a stepfather and a few dogs so ones gets a bit used to the procedure-its never easy just part of life and in my case a bit to much. Mark i have tears.... T

too cool T

you are missing the banjo player !

oh yah do i agree!

I totally agree, I was having the same problems with a clear matt glaze I was using. The pieces all came out with that sugar frosting white drip and I just kept adding water till I got it right. Good luck T

I sometimes procrastinate at various stages but once I get going it's all great!

all i can say is wow, wish i could have seen it in person. we have some similar kilns here in spain but fired from the top with olive stones.. T

yah to the jugband! what do you play trina? I guess I would have to say Earl Scruggs Blue grass stuff..... I have a nice 5 string, but I really want to be an Avett Brother when I grow up! T

yah to the jugband!

Hey ME TOO!