My Studio Journal #5
Saturday, 8. November 2025
Warm Greetings from My London Studio
It has been a full week in the studio. The garden mural is drying beautifully, and while a few edges have warped slightly, I think it only adds to the handmade charm. I can’t wait to see how it looks once fired and up on the wall. I also could not help myself and started a second mural, this time for the kitchen. It will wrap around my doorway, which makes it a bit more challenging, but I like it as an architectural feature and can’t wait to see how it changes the whole dynamic of the room.
At the Studio Table
I finally finished my test tiles, which came out of the kiln this week. Working in stoneware has been a bit of a challenge because the colour range is more limited and the glazes behave differently, but it is the only way for the mural to survive outdoors. Earthenware would have let water seep into the cracks, and one frost would have destroyed it. Despite the restrictions, I am happy with the colour palette so far and the way the tests turned out. Since the kitchen mural will live indoors, I can use earthenware instead, which means a much wider choice of colours and glazes. I have already finished building it, and it is now drying. This time, I used a different technique: I worked on large clay slabs underneath the mural and cut the pieces out later. It makes the whole piece heavier but far easier to manage because there are fewer parts to handle.
Work in Progress
The garden mural is almost dry, and I am hoping to start bisque firing the first sections in the next few days. It still feels surreal seeing something of this scale come together, after so many hours of shaping, carving, and testing finally turning solid. I have learned to slow down and let the process unfold. Not everything went to plan, though. The bisque firing of my snake pieces was a bit of a heartbreak. Almost all of them were damaged, and Medusa was completely destroyed. Not really used to working with such thick pieces, I rushed the drying process, and the trapped moisture caused them to crack and explode in the kiln. It is a classic lesson in patience, something clay never stops teaching. Next time I will hollow the thicker parts more carefully or use a grogged clay to help with airflow. Still, even with the losses, the process teaches more than success ever could.
From the Kiln
The kiln has had quite a busy week. The test tiles helped me see the colour direction more clearly, and even with a few breakages along the way, I am pleased with what held together. If all goes well, I hope I will have the first glazed pieces of the garden mural to share next week.
Until next week,
