Trees Hugging!

What did the Romans do for us?

Remember that segment of Monty Python's "Life of Brian"?

I just heard a guy, an economist, on a television news programme, commenting on the Arts Council announcements today on funding for the next year, and the drastic cuts that have been enforced on arts organisations throughout the country.

This person, an educated man, a doctor, seemed very pleased with the cuts. His opinion was that art which pleases the masses deserves funding, and anything challenging and/or controversial deserves absolutely nothing! What an ignoramus, hence my analogy with the Python movie. With that attitude what chance does art stand in these times? 

Back to Casting

I decided it is worth testing some ceramic decals on cast glass to see what difference, if any, it makes to the depth of colour. I have tested another decal at 820C but it has not had any significant effect on the end result. I am thinking that it may be better to double up the decals to get a deeper colour. I will try this soon, when I can afford to order some more. The last batch cost £27 for four A4 decals.

 If anyone out there has had experience of this or applying decals to glass, please feel free to offer advice, as all will be gratefully received?

The next photos are of the mould empty and filled with frit ready for casting.

The mould was still too hot yesterday afternoon to remove from the kiln, though I will photograph it and the removing of the cast glass as soon as it is achieved.

Another Test Piece

Here is another example of my work with a fused ceramic decal added to the glass. I will add a video clip soon of how to apply the waterslide decals (or Transfers) to glass, when I have edited it. This one was fused and slumped (or sagged as named in the US)into a mould in one go in the kiln. It was taken up to 720C. The decal was quite pale compared to the original image which was initially a drawing of Arabic style text drawn by myself/ It was scanned into my Mac and manipulated slightly in Photoshop. The resulting image was then emailed to a company in Stoke-on-Trent, who the produced the decal.

I have been informed by the makers that the colours 'mature' with firing. To that end I have put some of the test pieces back in the kiln tonight for re-firing. Will report back the results!


I will post a photo of my horse next, as remembered to take my camera with me this evening, and he had been out without a rug on as it was a beautiful spring day at last it was warm.

And this is his new best friend Plum!

What a Beautiful Day

Sorry but today being Sunday, I had to suspend the constant thinking about my work and do something away from computers!

Rode my horse out through peaceful lanes lined with daffodils and whats left of the snowdrops.

Afternoon went to Mothercombe Beach with Zig, my dog, it was the first time he has been there, but not the last. You can understand why the movie people pick it as a location, it is so gorgeous, especially on a day like this. The last photo I could not resist posting, I love what the tide does to sand.

Ceramic Decals Finally Arrived

Well they (the Decals/transfers whatever one wants to call them) arrived this morning. Admittedly I was disappointed when I first saw them, the colours are not as good as I had hoped, but firing could change it all. Anyway they have been applied to small rectangles of glass and placed in the kiln for firing at 750c with a 10min soak. We will see what happens next. Everything crossed that it works well.

Here's a few photos of them in the kiln :-)

Here's One I Made Earlier

This was a test where I cut out Arabic letters from the Ceramic Decal Paper, applied to float glass, then kiln fused around 750 C with added glass pieces. I will post the finished piece when I have photographed it. The colours look brighter in this picture than they were in reality.