My plan is to make a range of ceramics for the garden - totems, water features, lights and cane toppers. Most of these items will need non ceramic components, for instance metal stakes, solar lamps, or a water pump. The fired diameters must be correct to fit, and I need to get to get to grips with some technical stuff, identifying the pumps, tubes, sealant etc that will work. My initial enquiries were at the water garden section of my local garden centres (-solar powered pump purchased but no good, mains electric seems more hopeful) but graduated on to the plumbers merchants and online metal tube suppliers. I bought soft rubber funnels from Morrisons supermarket. My latest visit was to B&Q where the staff, many of whom are in their second careers, were particularly interested in the technical challenge and impressed by my diagrams !. I came away with 3 meters of copper pipe (cut into two) and plumbers hose ditto, connectors, a length of soft 8mm tubing (to go inside the central pipe), and encouragement to come back with at least photos of the finished pieces. I also bought a spirit level and found that although I had thought I had fixed the problem of getting 2 holes to line up on the vertical, the outcomes were not consistently accurate. I had an informal review with my tutors Dave and Rob at the beginning of the month. We discussed some of my technical concerns, particularly around the strength of the base plate and the difficulties in ensuring that the central tube is well anchored and vertical. Rob came up with a brilliant idea - concrete! This will allow me to make a base plate which is more deeply carved ( to match in with the other pieces) yet when filled and reinforced with concrete after firing will also provide a stable channel to hold the vertical post. I will still need a reservoir with an anchoring point to hold the base of the tube, but this is not a design problem, just a task! We also agreed that I should make more small pieces so I can use them as glaze tests. The whole project is beginning to look a little less daunting. Life in the garden What about light? Its presence or absence is highlighted by shadows -again manifest on the carved forms. I am also making light sources - lamps - as stand alone pieces, carved through as I have described before. Should I try to incorporate these forms in the totems? The central copper supporting pipe would be visible.The other component of a garden which is not essential but for me important is colour. Tones can be muted, Monochrome can be calming and attractive but bright colours lift the spirits and convey energy. In a garden colour is usually supplied by blooms but increasingly people use hard landscaping and garden structures such as glazed planters and painted fences to augment the plants, particularly for the duller winter months. I have tired of my off -white clay. We need some colour on these ceramics!
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AuthorI am indulging my passion for ceramics by undertaking studies for an MA at UCLAN Archives
August 2021
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