Curious Curlews
Little ceramic bird sculptures made to bring you joy!
I usually make these little guys outdoors in the fresh air – I can enjoy watching the birds – who are watching me making birds! It’s truly my happy place and I hope to pass on the love and joy to you through them.
Designed to be held and loved, each bird starts as a lump of clay which I shape and form by hand.
They are all individuals and have their own characteristics, so the one you receive will vary from those in the photo but will be the same colour.
Size – Approx 9.5cm tall
Material – Stoneware clay, underglazes and glaze. Stamped underneath with my logo.
Free UK delivery – Please allow 5 working days. International delivery will take longer but is tracked.
International shipping – Cost of international shipping will be added at the checkout and customers are responsible for any customs and duties.
VAT – Price includes VAT at 20% in applicable countries.
How they’re 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!
Once the clay is prepared, I create two identical spheres before pinching each into a bowl shape.
The two bowls are then scored and joined before being left to dry a little.
Once the hollow sphere is a little firmer, I then create the bird shape, with the beak and the eyes. I create a hole in the base so the air can escape (solid structures are more likely to blow up during firing as any moisture left tries to escape.)
I’ll then wait a little before refining the surface further.
Next is the bisque firing. Once I have enough pieces to fill the kiln I will set the kiln off on a progressive heating programme to reach 1000°C.
Once cooled (usually 24-48 hours later) I can then apply coloured underglazes – usually 2-3 layers hand painted on. They’re then left another 24 hours before having a clear glaze applied on top – again another 2-3 layers. It’s important to make sure there’s no glaze on the base of each piece or they will stick to the kiln shelf.
Then once they’re dry, it’s back into the kiln for the glaze firing. This time the temperature reaches 1245°C Again it can take a good 24-48 hours before the pieces are cool enough to handle. Then it’s quality check time, and if I’m happy with them, they get a stamp on their bottom, photographed and added to the website for their new owners to adopt them.
