Letters now a' cookin ...

After having been threatened with instant ex-communication by our Blog Leader if I didn't get my letters in by the end of this month, I have been frantically putting together my three-months-worth of "lettered stacks", and as I write this blog A to L are happily sitting in the kiln slowly getting hotter until in ten hours time they reach 1000 degrees - and have hopefully survived the experience ...







My seven-letter-stacks letters are made out of 'paper-clay' and in size are 7cm cubed. I make the paper-clay out of recycled office paper - which I shred then soak in water ( and a slurp ofbleach to kill any bacteria that might form ) for a month. I then put the paper through a device that pulps it, and then add the pulp to liquid clay ( also recycled ) and let stand for another couple of months. The mixture is then poured onto plaster blocks and left until the clay is ready to work with. I love working with paper-clay as it is so forgiving and enables the artist to create forms and joins that normal clay just couldn't cope with.


A to L stacks ready to be fired ...

The letter-stacks are first fired to 1000 degrees ( bisque ) - then I paint them with a cobalt glaze and fire again to 1080 degrees ... and if all goes well I will open the kiln door next week and there will be 'A to L' in all their blue glory - stay tuned.


Loading my letters into the kiln with June's rats !!! ...

cheers - Ken Munsie