Pomegranates; the worship continues!
I have now glazed the bodies of the first few pomegranates and decided to smoke fire them
to see what the smoke would do to the white clay at the top.
It was a beautiful day with just the right amount of wind to fan the smouldering sawdust. 
The smoke firing process takes about 15-20 hours and it is best not to remove the lid until the heat has died down, or the sudden change of temperature might cause the ceramic sculptures to crack. I found it really difficult not to have a sneaky peak…
The pomegranates are between 20-30 cm tall.
Pomegranates
Over the last few weeks I have been tripping on pomegranates.
I have been obsessed with their shape and how it changes as they mature. Paper clay is a fabulous product in that it makes it so easy to sculpt – I can add bits or detract without worrying too much about using slip or that the shape will warp…
I have tried terracotta, white eartenware and grogged paper clay so far, and the grogged is my absolute favourite. 

I can’t wait for them to dry out so I can bisque fire and then glaze and smoke fire them… They are are between 20 and 30 cm tall. Watch this space!
Botz Glazes
Botz is a German factory that makes some lovely ceramic glazes. Over the years I have experimented using them with my smoke firing techniques, and last week Botz sent me a box full of glazes in exchange for one of my smoke fired House God sculptures. 
I have found that some glazes improve (to my mind) when they are put in the sawdust and set alight and here are some examples;
This torso on the left has been glazed with Botz Blaueffect glaze. And here is the same torso after it has been smoke fired.
This House God sculpture has also been glazed with Blaueffect and then smoke fired. I love how the copper in the glaze has turned red in the fire…
Art is for everyone!
I sometimes hear people say that they ‘haven’t an artistic bone in their body’ and I can’t help feeling both sad and a little bit upset. I believe that art and artistic expression is our birth right; everyone is born creative, curious, expressive and full of joy and exuberance. Most of that is ‘educated’ out of us at an early age. We are taught that for art to be considered ‘good’ it must be expensive and forbidding, the artist should preferably be dead, and his/her work hung behind bars in a museum.
I am delighted to find that most people who come to my ceramic workshops produce expressive, individual and beautiful work and that they have a fantastic time doing so. During one of my first classes a lady psychiatrist in her fifties suddenly exclaimed that she hadn’t had this much fun since she was a child!
And this is exactly what I want to deliver; a space for you to rediscover just how much fun it is to create something with your own hands!
Hostings Hot Houses – show starts today!
Up early to empty the smoke firing bins; it is a bit like christmas; will the fire and smoke have delivered goodies, or is it all cracked and destroyed?
This is Herne, the Hunter.

And this is another blue sculpture; she is not smoke fired, but has little flecks of gold amongst the blue glaze.
You’ll find a wonderful display of Easter presents; smoke fired ceramics, life size cattle portraits, enigmatic paintings,
stylish knitwear alongside exquisite hand-made jewellery – all for sale at attractive prices.
And, with every purchase, you will be entered into our free raffle to win an original art work.
Opening times during Easter 2010
April 3rd, 10th, 11th Open 11am – 5pm
April 4th, 5th Open 11am – 4pm
To see more please go to the Hot House website at www.hastingshothouses.co.uk .
Hastings Hot Houses!
So the count down is ticking and the kilns and dustbins bulging…
I was pretty pleased how the smoke had treated this ceramic torso during my over night smoke firing session…
Please go to my website on www.annakeiller.com to see more of what will be on offer during the Easter Art Show.
Smoke fired ceramic Fat Birds
I have been busy sculpting ceramic Fat Birds and smoke firing them in between snow and hail storms
. 
I thought they would come in handy with the planned Hot House exhibition coming up at Easter! 
To see more about that show, which will take place at my studios in Dudley Road, please visit http://www.hastingshothouses.co.uk/
I had twenty-five Fat Birds and Cockerel sculptures ready for the show when the Saffron Gallery and ‘Dress for Less’ swooped by to pick up the lot for hand made Easter presents for their clients.
Back to the starting point!
You can find the Saffron Gallery in Battle, East Sussex http://www.saffrongallery.co.uk/
and Dress for Less http://dressforless.homestead.com/ 52 High Street in Hastings Old Town.
Weekend smoke firing workshop is now full…
The weekend smoke firing workshop due to start on Sunday 7th is now fully subscribed. Please email me if you would like to be kept informed of new workshop dates.
Terracotta Fat Birds
I’m experimenting with terracotta clay for smoke firing Fat Birds; so far the results have been promising
.
I’m not sure the clay is strong enough to survive the intense heat flucturations with larger items such as my torsos… Has anyone tried to smoke fire terracotta sculpture?
To see more of my work please visit www.annakeiller.com
Ceramic Fat Birds
Another smoke firing session in driving rain
This time I used dry leaves, straw and wood shavings in my galvanized dust bins. 
These smoke fired Fat Birds are made with white molochite clay, the eyes and combs are glazed with red Botz brush-on, and their bodies are daubed with copper, manganese and iron oxides. 
This Fat Bird is made with red terracotta clay. Her eyes are glazed with red brush on glaze and her body daubed with manganese and copper oxide.
If you would like to see more of my work, then you’ll find it at my website at www.annakeiller.com












Sign up for Anna Keiller's Newsletter