Well, it's only taken me seven months from start to finish to get this table off the ground! Admitedly, winter got in the way a bit - one of the drawbacks of not having a workshop. My original idea for extra supports didn't work, and one Saturday lunchtime, the idea hit me of how to solve the problem, and I went straight to work to put the idea into action. I made two concrete tops to sit over the legs, using two washing up bowls with cardboard boxes inside; the spaces between were filled with reinforced concrete. They worked great, and when they were covered in broken china and sat on top of the legs, they looked like bar stools - in fact, that's what my neighbour thought they were! The top of the table features what has become my trademark - circles or bits of.....The four central tiles were bought at a boot sale from a retired tiler who had a few choice designer tiles dating from the sixties, left over from jobs he'd done. These were far too nice to smash up, and I think they look good surrounded by broken tiles. My brother got the turquoise tiles from a skip behind a flooring warehouse - ex-display stock. Other tiles came from the tip, and the glass drops bought at various cheapo shops.
The round 'tourist' tile with the peacock came from Turkey, bought years ago. The tiles in the Blue Mosque in Istanbul are so amazing and overwhelming; I saw them late on a dark, cold January afternoon, in 1990, with snow and ice on the ground outside. At that time of year, there were hardly any tourists, and I just stood and marvelled at the incredible beauty of the ceramics, even though they were some distance away. Later, I got lost in some backstreets after dark; bit hairy for a few moments, but it all worked out in the end.......These images of Turkish tiles are worth a look:
...as are these images of the blue mosque:
I made the concrete 'stepping stones', which are decorated with various found glass and ceramic bits, as well as shells and pebbles and glass pieces collected from the beach with my niece. I like to think I have my own little corner of Guell Park-inspired magic taking shape in my back garden - lots of colourful and diverse tiles 'thrown' together. If only it was that simple.........
