Bathroom odyssey
A while ago, around last Christmas in fact, I decided it was high time I turned my attention to the original bathroom in The Ceramic House, which remains the only room untouched by me since moving in 6 years ago.
I decided to use the gorgeous blue and white Portuguese tiles I have brought back from flea markets in Porto and Lisbon over 2 years and 2 fabulous holidays. I made some tiles to go with them using some of the motifs and tiling duly began, but it only got so far as time and tiles ran out. This was in January, preceding my imminent departure for the residency in Denmark.
Before leaving, I designed the main feature – the panel of tiles above the bath – using architectural Portuguese tiles found on building facades across Portugal as my inspiration. I made 8 different press moulds with a low relief and since I got back from Denmark I’ve had volunteers press moulding away in my studio.
We finished making them last week, and since then it’s been back to back firings in my 3 large kilns to get them finished on time.
Yesterday I went in to unload and reload the kiln I thought would be ready to open, and, to my horror, discovered it had not fired to top temperature and had to start it again!
I’ve just unloaded the other kiln, which fired successfully, and quickly reloaded with hot shelves.
Hopefully it should all be ready in time for Tuesday, when the tiler’s coming. He may well be tiling with hot tiles, which wouldn’t be the first time! Typically all happening last minunte and just in time for the opening of Fantastic Tales on Thursday…I hope!
