The Kiln and The Bench

Three weeks ago I had a big disaster in the art room with my kiln.  It also caused half the building to lose power just as a group of kids were eating lunch in the cafeteria...oops.  Turns out it isn't easy finding someone to come to fix a kiln either.  Of course a set of the most important things were in the kiln at the time too...the tiles I was making for a memorial bench for our student who passed away last year.  I tried taking them to another kiln in the district but because I couldn't be there to keep an eye on it, things didn't work out. 

So right before the break I was able to get a very nice technician to come from the south to fix it.  As I suspected it was not the kiln itself, but our electrical work in the building that caused the plug and cord to start to burn up.  So the kiln is ready to go...but now I am waiting for someone else to fix the electric on the wall so I can plug it back in.

In the meantime the giant bluestone bench slab made it home with me right before the break and tile work is progressing on it well.  But now is the hardest part of all..the background. Lots of cutting around all the letters that's for sure.  I feel like I have to work on it at least everyday.  Spike looks the best...here's a video of him being put together.  Unfortunately the video is only 4 seconds long, as compared to the hour it really took to make him.  More to come on the bench..