Can puffins fly?
A unique sculpture of a flying puffin in a metallic glaze
Can puffins fly? Well this little one is certainly flapping their wings enough! They flip and flap about 400 times in a minute and are really rather good at flying despite appearances. Never judge a bird by its cover eh.
Size: Approx. 24cm in height
How they were made
Mud, glorious mud! well, professional-grade stoneware clay from the UK to be precise.
Out of the bag the clay needs, “wedging,” to remove any air trapped that can later cause problems during firing. Wedging is physical and theraputic!
This piece was built using the ancient coiling technique which involves rolling coils and building the shape up in layers to create a hollow form (solid structures are more likely to blow up during firing as any moisture left tries to escape.) It’s a slow process -you can’t rush the build as the form may just collapse under its own weight.
After allowing them to dry a little I was able to shape and sculpt the details to bring out their character.
Next was the bisque firing – a progressive heating programme to reach 1060°C.
Once cooled (48 hours later) I was able to hand paint three layers of metallic glaze.
Next was the glaze firing – this time the temperature reaches 1245°C, this is where the alchemy and magic happens and gives the surface the final appearance.
To finish off the sculpture I added a separately fired black clay base which was then attached to her.
