Box Mania

Assorted boxes I've just finished

It's box mania here.

I received a rather large order for china painted boxes in late November and I've been working steadily on them since. It's truly crunch time now and the more difficult pieces are getting completed this week. From Dachshunds to Calico kitties to a portrait I've been bookin' to get it all done before Christmas. It's all I've been working on. I'm happy to say that this major diversion from model horses is always good for my painting skills both on and in the MH industry. Everything art truly feeds off each other.

This work comes after many months of working clay and glazing. I'm honestly sick of playing in clay so I am happy to be china painting and working the illustrations. By next week I will be fully satisfied of this job and looking forward to working on horses again, or maybe finishing the mold production of Lil Pumpkin. In any case, I find that having many things juggling at once is the way I like my studio running. It suits me.

First a drawing
Crow quill drawing on porcelain.
First fire

So Red the Rose

Working roses onto the porcelain

Roses are the most difficult object for me to personally paint and draw. I struggled all weekend trying to create roses on the bottom of the porcelain egg. After several tries I finally painted a few roses that looked fairly decent. In the end I had to add a bit of white paints in order to bring out the highlights since they really got mushy looking.

Today I await a shipment from Maryland China which includes a special brush for applying gold. I didn't feel confident in using the water color brushes I currently own. Next to roses, applying gold is the second most difficult thing to paint on porcelain in my opinion.

A Quick Peek In

A peek at the china painting desk

Today, a quick peek at my china painting desk. It's messy and filled with little button boxes and lidded boxes galore. I'm exploring mice, scrolls and roses. The kiln started cooking up the new mice very early this morning and I'm off to package up the last of the sold button box mice and hopefully get them to the PO today.

Slowly building color on lids

After this morning's kiln firing the new Halloween Button Boxes should be finished and ready to go to new homes. I've decided not to repeat the previous costumes so this next batch of mice are all unique. I'll give proper notice to their sale. So stay tuned. LIttle trick-or-treaters are coming!

New Week

"You love the roses - so do I. I wish
The sky would rain down roses, as they rain
From off the shaken bush. Why will it not?
Then all the valley would be pink and white
And soft to tread on. They would fall as light
As feathers, smelling sweet: and it would be
Like sleeping and yet waking, all at once."
~ George Eliot

Its a quiet and slow Monday morning. My coffee finds me thinking of the new week. What goals must be accomplished this week?

* do something special with Francesco
* do something special with hubby
* finish alborozo
* finish those fairy wings for JAH
* get to the PO and mail out lots of lingering items
* think about another blog giveaway
* spend time just being silent and listening
* let my mind wander on silly things
* play some old cassette tapes

Should be a great week.
What's one special thing you are doing this week?