Kiln-fired kiwis most active in the heat

I am having a bit of a kiwi phase at the moment. This stemmed from a commission to produce a replica kiwi-sized bird, as you may have read in a previous blog or Instagram post.

I soon realised the kiwi’s feet had to be enlarged in order to support the oversized body and head. Reducing the weight meant turning and carving into the body whilst balancing the head with its extended beak.  However, my first attempts reminded me that clay has its own memory and will move in the glaze firing. The kiwis must be dancing in the heat of the kiln! One moved up and down, forcing a straight beak to curve up as it touched the ground during the firing; another moved sideways to join up with a nearby pot; and yet another, pulled down by the weight of its head, picked up its heels to dip down, cracking its ankles. A couple didn’t make it beyond the bisque firing, and one suffered a nudge off the workbench.

But practice makes perfect, and I now have two lovely completed kiwis for my commission, and two rather quirky birds to be sold as seen. The kiwis have been a journey, and have helped me to really enjoy the nature of clay and heat. No handbuilt piece is exactly identical to another, but they all have charm.