Earlier this month I received at home my brand new ceramic kiln and the real fun has already started!
Here it is! It looks like a fancy piece of furniture that fits perfectly besides my working table!
Together with it arrived a new kind of life convenience as the freedom to use it whenever I want is priceless!
If you are just tuning in let me update you briefly, last March I left Denmark, where I’ve been working with my ceramics and moved to Italy, Turin. I decided to go on creating my custom dog sculptures from home, and so I am doing! Let me tell you a bit of my recent adventures and creations!
Customising a Brussels Griffon sculpture
The ceramic process is quite long, if you are not familiar with it let me just tell you, it may take up months until one of my pieces is ready, why? several reason, ceramics take long, it required patience and skills, and in addition to that, I want each one of my custom dog sculptures to be as unique and alive as possible. The sculpting process takes from several days to several weeks, and then they need to dry, and go into the kiln several times. But even before a sculpture takes shape in the clay they come to life in my mind and then I often grab some paper and sketch out a bit, if the breed is new to my study I take days learning about it, and sketching out measures and proportions. I end up with my personal interpretation of the breed standard after my lectures and seeing pictures of both old and current dogs.
Brussels Griffon quick Sketch, head study.
During July I was working in two very new breeds for me. I knew, of course, about them, but just the basics, but both breeds always intrigued me a lot, and since at first glance, when they are not ‘groomed for the show’, they could, look similar for the untrained eye. Therefore I went on and worked on both breeds at the same time, Brussels Griffon and Affenpinscher.
Affenpinscher and Brussels Griffon breed study sculptures, before going into the kiln.
Affenpinscher quick sketch, breed study.
It was 10 pm last evening when I finished applying slips and glazes to my first batch of sculptures that should go into the kiln for the second time. I loaded and started the kiln and after a long waiting, today afternoon I opened to see the results. Some of the sculptures were ready and precious! But some others need to go into the kiln 2 more times, I told you the process is LONG!! So, today I continued coloring and the kiln was started again, and hopefully these pieces will be ready by the end of the month.
Black Affenpinschers playing, a whimsical colored Affen and a very elegant English Cocker Spaniel
This is a just a glimpse of my week, stay around as I should have more news soon!
