Stories

Description

These words were written by Chris after a once-in-a-lifetime trip to St Kilda and the image drawn in to the clay of Main Street.

Chris and Will had an intrepid trip to this stunning island, eight hours on a small boat, bouncing on the high waves! They adventured together with a few others and were blown away by the landscapes, cliffs and the city of bird life. These buildings remain and are protected by the National Trust for Scotland. What stories have been woven there..

Michaela drew in the sketch on the clay, using photos that Chris took on the island and printed in a part of the poem written on his return. What poignant imagery.

Once complete, the picture was carefully placed in the drying room, between plasterboards sheets for even drying. It can take a while to dry in our climate, but once enough work is dry, the kiln gets filled with the fragile pieces and they get fired to 1000 degrees.

After a day has passed for the kiln to cool, then each piece is glazed. This St Kilda had black underglaze added and wiped away enough to see the lines and images but leaving an atmosphere of shadow and untold stories.

The picture was then fired again, this time to 1240 degrees. Patience is needed while we wait for the kiln to cool! After a couple of days, we empty the kiln and Chris makes a bespoke frame for each piece, including this dramatic St Kilda artwork.

Framed, it measures 27 x 20.5cm.