Indeed the last months mention of fungal fantastics has started along with a feast of figs, daily appearing as if they are racing the fields of fungi to fruit the light fantastic. Now it is to be noted that too many fat figs consumed at one time can be problematic and usually trigger rapid movement for the smaller room at the most inconvenient of times, but who can resist though. These plump morsels, evocative of summers gone by and many to come in all their delicate shades of honey hinted sweetness....................... yum Oops gotta run! Sunday 3rd Well this month may have something a bit different and of interest for you all, something specific that we can post a little info and pictures about as I chronicle the creation of a unique pottery sculpture by ‘her that must be obeyed’ (occasionally..... hehe). Heather has created a large outdoor clay sculpture that is to be fired in place up by the Labyrinth. It will be fired inside a temporary clay, paper, and straw kiln that is to be built around it. Currently the sculpture is drying in the pottery and when ready it will be gingerly transported up the lawn to it’s final home near the swing, then the kiln will be constructed around it. It’s a delicate operation to be done with the utmost finesse and copious quantities of --- Great Globs of Gooey Muck, then when it is time to torch it will be in a ‘presactly so’ manner for endless hours. Could even be worth a visit, expected firing around the 25/26th period, will keep you posted. So let us start with the beginnings of the kiln........... This is the base in it’s earliest stages, ie as of today, the cross shape of bricks in the middle is the base upon which the sculpture will sit. The hairy looking ring on the top is the foundation layer of the kiln outer wall. Diametrically opposite each other are the ‘fire tubes’ ie: the heat source, 900-1000c being aimed for, the fuel for most part will be scavenged by yours truly. The key to this of course is that ‘someone’ will be perambulating between the two ends stuffing firewood up the tubes according to a pre-determined plan compliments of her that knows exactly what she is doing. The likes of you and me can just sit back and marvel...... unless any of us have been silly enough to be around when fire stoking duty is pronounced, (that’s a hint)
Of Fungus,Figs  and Fire
Thursday 14th Straw Kiln update It seems just yesterday I last updated things, but no, being immersed in endless wood splitting is in part to blame for that. We have developments.... this morning the sculpture was inched on a trolley and carefully dragged up to the site, it was just a touch heavier to lift than I expected.... About ‘4 bags of clay” she said, and here is me thinking my strength was fading with age..... and then it struck me......... So inside I went and I picked Heather up, “No! It’s waaaaay heavier than you, so how much clay from out of the stream did you add??”   She said “Ahhhh that’s right, I forgot, (long silence)........ at least the same amount again, sorreeeee”. Well that explains that then................ sigh :-) Many thanks to Paul and Missy from across the valley for their valuable help in steadying it on it’s journey up the hill, it made all the difference.  
So here it is after being carefully edged onto the centre bricks, and then the outer kiln walls are slowly built up. As the outer walls grow, firewood is carefully stacked around the sculpture and any smaller pottery pieces placed amongst the fire wood. At this point the kiln has to grow another 1.4 meters higher, firewood stacked all the way along with any packets of salts, oxides and maybe even seaweed to get that random surprise finish.
And here she is all smiles and slip slopping the mud, Heather, (her that must be obeyed). In this photo she is smearing a final layer of clay on the outside, and very likely wondering if she could get away with offering me a handful..... at speed :-)
.... and here it is, with the kiln 3/4 finished, note the firewood stacked inside and the seaweed draped, (this should give some interesting colouring effects). just for light relief from firewood splitting I decided to trim the Labyrinth......... and a day and a bit later it looks like this.
Since then we have had around 110mm of rain in a very short time so I have been raking gravel back onto paths and driveways, pondered the rebuilding of the Bamboo Forest stream sculptures that washed away and offered a quick thank you to the god of rain that we got off so lightly. Barring some notable event, the next update will on or around the 26th when the kiln is fired, action shots of someone else stoking endless rounds of wood into the kilns all consuming inferno...... with 6 hours of a steamy smoky bit to start off with, until then.... The weather looks set for a firing on the 26th.
Thursday 29th The firing is over as of the evening of the 26th, the commotion calmed, and the consensus is in - it was a great event enjoyed by all especially those that love the delicate scent of the smoked....... The day started at 7am with the initial torching and much battling with contrary winds making for uneven firing in the initial stages but a good hot final blast, and in retrospect, a case of saggy kiln top. There are too many interesting photos to include so below is a sampling, you can click on the images for bigger versions
First up is the start of the slow heating with fires set barely inside the fire tunnels, this stage in theory, goes on for around 6 hours and is intended to slowly dry out and heat up the kiln and contents
Sometimes it doesn’t quite work right and the firewood stacked around the sculpture begins to char, glow and smoke, this required damping down of the fire boxes and a temporary top on the kiln until under control. the swirling winds at this point didn’t help.
However with much fire fiddling by local pyromaniacs we got through this period and by the time guests arrived things were sufficiently under control (if you ignore the propped up kiln top), that the final blowtorching cooked the contents to perfection. In this case the saggy kiln top and subsequent splitting in the final run allows you to see the temperature inside the kiln, that glow in there is the sculpture trying to imitate a light bulb
The next morning.......... First noticeable aspect was the toasty brick red colour inside the kiln, typical of the local clay and indicating that a suitable temperature was surely reached, looking down the chimney was like looking into a nest, but some eggs appeared a bit cracked......... 
In due course the others arrived up for the great unveiling and originally there was hopes that at least the top in it’s somewhat unhinged state, could be lifted off........ Setting up for this naturally invited an “all hands on” photo...... at which point the kiln crumbled like a dried out sand castle.
So a few blown out bits on the main sculpture, they will be repaired, and much scratting around in the rubble for the smaller sculptures. Altogether a rather wonderful occasion with the much coming and going of friends and family mixed with the mystery of what would emerge from the smoke, steam, fire, food (and left over firewood) all combined in celebration of Heathers  birthday.
The final images are of smaller pieces that were included in the firing and as some of you will ‘see’ they reflect the family nature of this event, a celebration of individuality within the context of the immediate family and the wider groupings we are all part of, our extended families. Each of us in our own way is supplying the fuel and fire to shape the form yet supporting the uniqueness of the individual, or to severely paraphrase Kipling “The power of the family is in the individual and the power of the individual is in the family”.
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Indeed last months mention of a fungal fantastic has started along with a feast of figs, daily appearing as if they are racing the fields of fungi to fruit the light fantastic. Now it is to be noted that too many fat figs consumed at one time can be problematic and usually trigger rapid movement for smaller room at the most inconvenient of times, but who can resist though. These plump morsels, evocative of summers gone by and many to come in all their delicate shades of honey hinted sweetness....................... yum Oops gotta run! Sunday 3rd Well this month may have something a bit different and of interest for you all, something specific that we can post a little info and pictures about as I chronicle the creation of a unique pottery sculpture by ‘her that must be obeyed’ (occasionally..... hehe). Heather has created a large clay sculpture that is to be fired in place up by the Labyrinth. It will be fired inside a temporary clay, paper, and straw kiln that is to be built around it. Currently the sculpture is drying in the pottery and when ready it will be gingerly transported up the lawn to it’s final home near the swing, then the kiln will be constructed around it. It’s a delicate operation to be done with the utmost finesse and copious quantities of.... Great Globs of Gooey Muck, then when it is time to torch it will be in a ‘presactly so’ manner for endless hours. Could even be worth a visit, expected firing around the 25/26th period, will keep you posted. So let us start with the beginnings of the kiln........... This is the base in it’s earliest stages, ie as of today, the cross shape of bricks in the middle is the base upon which the sculpture will sit. The hairy looking ring on the top is the foundation layer of the kiln outer wall. Diametrically opposite each other are the ‘fire tubes’ ie: the heat source, 900-1000c being aimed for, the fuel for most part will be scavenged by yours truly. The key to this of course is that ‘someone’ will be perambulating between the two ends stuffing firewood up the tubes according to a pre-determined plan compliments of her that knows exactly what she is doing. The likes of you and me can just sit back and marvel...... unless any of us have been silly enough to be around when fire stoking duty is pronounced, (that’s a hint)
Of Fungus, Figs and Fire
Thursday 14th Straw Kiln update It seems just yesterday I last updated things, but no, being immersed in endless wood splitting is in part to blame for that. We have developments.... this morning the sculpture was inched on a trolley and carefully dragged up to the site, it was just a touch heavier to lift than I expected.... About ‘4 bags of clay” she said, and here is me thinking my strength was fading with age..... and then it struck me......... So inside I went and I picked Heather up, “No! It’s waaaaay heavier than you, so how much clay from out of the stream did you add??”   She said “Ahhhh that’s right, I forgot, (long silence)........ at least the same amount again, sorreeeee”. Well that explains that then................ sigh :-) Many thanks to Paul and Missy from across the valley for their valuable help in steadying it on it’s journey up the hill, it made all the difference.
So here it is after being carefully edged onto the centre bricks, and then the outer kiln walls are slowly built up. As the outer walls grow, firewood is carefully stacked around the sculpture and any smaller pottery pieces placed amongst the fire wood. At this point the kiln has to grow another 1.4 meters higher, firewood stacked all the way along with any packets of salts, oxides and maybe even seaweed to get that random surprise finish.
And here she is all smiles and slip slopping the mud,  Heather, (her that must be obeyed). In this photo she is smearing a final layer of clay on the outside, and very likely wondering if she could get away with offering me a handful..... at speed :-)
.... and here it is, with the kiln 3/4 finished, note the firewood stacked inside and the seaweed draped, (this should give some interesting colouring effects). just for light relief from firewood splitting I decided to trim the Labyrinth......... and a day and a bit later it looks like this.
Since then we have had around 110mm of rain in a very short time so I have been raking gravel back onto paths and driveways, pondered the rebuilding of the Bamboo Forest stream sculptures that washed away and offered a quick thank you to the god of rain that we got off so lightly. Barring some notable event, the next update will on or around the 26th when the kiln is fired, action shots of someone else stoking endless rounds of wood into the kilns all consuming inferno...... with 6 hours of a steamy smoky bit to start off with, until then....
Thursday 29th The firing is over as of the evening of the 26th, the commotion calmed, and the consensus is in - it was a great event enjoyed by all especially those that love the delicate scent of the smoked....... The day started at 7am with the initial torching and much battling with contrary winds making for uneven firing in the initial stages but a good hot final blast, and in retrospect, a case of saggy kiln top. There are too many interesting photos to include so below is a sampling,
First up is the start of the slow heating with fires set barely inside the fire tunnels, this stage in theory, goes on for around 6 hours and is intended to slowly dry out and heat up the kiln and contents
Sometimes it doesn’t quite work right and the firewood stacked around the sculpture begins to char, glow and smoke, this required damping down of the fire boxes and a temporary top on the kiln until under control. the swirling winds at this point didn’t help.
However with much fire fiddling by local pyromaniacs we got through this period and by the time guests arrived things were sufficiently under control (if you ignore the propped up kiln top), that the final blowtorching cooked the contents to perfection. In this case the saggy kiln top and subsequent splitting in the final run allows you to see the temperature inside the kiln, that glow in there is the sculpture trying to imitate a light bulb
The next morning.......... First noticeable aspect was the toasty brick red colour inside the kiln, typical of the local clay and indicating that a suitable temperature was surely reached, looking down the chimney was like looking into a nest, but some eggs appeared a bit cracked.........  
In due course the others arrived up for the great unveiling and originally there was hopes that at least the top in it’s somewhat unhinged state, could be lifted off........ Setting up for this naturally invited an “all hands on” photo...... at which point the kiln crumbled like a dried out sand castle.
The final images are of smaller pieces that were included in the firing and as some of you will ‘see’ they reflect the family nature of this event, a celebration of individuality within the context of the immediate family and the wider groupings we are all part of, our extended families. Each of us in our own way is supplying the fuel and fire to shape the form yet supporting the uniqueness of the individual, or to severely paraphrase Kipling “The power of the family is in the individual and the power of the individual is in the family”.
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