SLOW IS BEAUTIFUL

1. Go to the mountain to get the clay and the colours*. (Both come in the form of a stone)















2. Seek for iguana sand (sand where iguanas lay their eggs)

3. Break the stone into powder















4. Mix clay with sand and water and DANCE on it kneeding it with the feet
















5. Soak colours in water for two days

6. Shape the vessel



















Tools: corn cob - to shape objects from outside; calabash-spoon - to shape objects from inside; wheel - no electricity, turned by hand; piece of rubber or a leaf - to finish the object with a smooth edge; stone and plastic for polishing















7. Wait while the piece dries. 30 min

8. Paint it white















9. Wait 20 minutes

10. Paint it white again

11. Wait one hour

12. Polish the colour to shine using a stone or plastic















13. Paint the background, then lines, then patterns, or go with simple black if you wish

14. Polish the colour to shine. If you miss the timing and start too early the colours will smear, if too late, they´ll be dry and won´t shine

15. Wait for the object to dry completely - 5 - 12 hours

16. Apply details and outlines engraving them with a knife















17. Place objects into the sun for a day















18. Start a fire in the kiln**















19. See it burn for 30 min and let the temperature reach 2000 degrees (Celsius)

20. The vessels go in















21. Let them be for 30 min -1 hour

22. The vessels come out















23. Let them cool down

24. Shape the cookies (roskillas) and cakes (tanelas) - the dough takes another two days to prepare















25. The cookies go in after the kiln has cooled a bit















26. Close all openings in the kiln for 45 minutes

27. The cookies come out

28. Have a cookie! Tomorrow we start from the top!***















SEE MORE HERE
http://www.ticoclub.com/guaitil.htm



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* The colours are called kuriol and come in white, red and black. By mixing the colours we can also get orange, gray and brown shades.

** The kiln is made of horse manure, earth and clay. Our kiln is six years old. The average age of such a kiln is just ten years.

*** We´ll probably let someone else go to the mountain and bring the materials. For us everything begins at step three (see above).