Any kind of heart-break is painful.
When it's a clay heart that breaks .... well, I don't exactly shed a tear, it's more of a murmured expletive!
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| Broken Hearted again! |
When the piece is made and the wet clay completely dried out, it is extremely brittle - a bit like the texture of chalk. And it is at this stage that I get around to 'fettling' it.
In Yorkshire, where I'm from, 'to fettle' something means to sort it, or manage it.
Fettling clay means cleaning it up and scraping off any rough edges, etc.
And once in a while, something snaps! "Oh bother!", I am heard to say cheerfully.
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| Recycling clay to be used once more - waste not, want not! |
But a broken heart is easily fixed.
Just break it into tiny pieces, immerse the bits in water and make new clay with which to make a new heart!
Let that one dry out, don't break it again and pop into the kiln with the rest of the pieces.
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| Dried clay pieces ready to be bisque fired |
A broken heart is one thing, but if I happen to break one of those large bowls whilst fettling the edges, best keep your distance!
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| Patchwork Hearts from www.cathydaniel.co.uk |
Did you ever get your heart broken? How did you mend yours?
x Cathy
