Pride

China painted Chaney drafter

I have always taken pride in the fact that my eyes were sharp and that I could read print on boxes from across the room. I could paint and sculpt on a grain of sand it seemed and I took pride in telling all that I sculpted my little Opus resin with the tip of a pin. As of late though, it seems as if I am struggling to paint stablemate sized eyes. I keep blinking and there is a wee bit of blur, I must admit.

Now, anyone who knows me knows I LOVE eye glasses. If you have a sharp pair of specs on I'm asking to see them and modeling them. Even copper shades look good on me. I just have the face for glasses and since I am the only one in my entire family that doesn't have eye ware I have always felt like the odd ball and I have always looked forward to the day when I could add one more accessory to my person. Every trip past the eye glass stand at the pharmacy finds me trying on a few pairs and this last time things actually got sharper when I put a pair on.

Opus resins


So, with this new found information I am heading out to the optometrist this coming Tuesday to have my eyes properly checked. Perhaps it's fatigue? Perhaps it's something so slight and I shouldn't worry. All I can say is that if I do need glasses I am ready for it and ready to finish off this Chaney properly. This shot above is the only one that came out well. Apparently I was seeing the front of him well, but lost sight of his eyes and his hooves, of all things! So, no sale on this guy yet.

Creative Roll

A newly finished Vixen resin

I'm totally on a creative roll right now. I'm finishing up projects and diving into the mold making process for these projects. After seeing Lesli Kathman's use of Legos on her blog I finally felt the little light bulb go on and realized that this mold making monster could be harnessed and controlled here in my own studio. I feel much more confident molding the more difficult pieces I've sculpted. I have no idea if I'm cutting the molds correctly, but I suppose I will learn through trail and error. All I really know is it really stinks not to be creating and I'm so very glad the holidays and sicknesses are over with because I feel lost without busy hands. I found the following quote by Pearl Buck in my travels recently:.

“The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanely sensitive. To them....a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death. Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create-so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, their very breath is cut off... They must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency they are not really alive unless they are creating."

No truer words were ever spoken! Without art and creativity I think I would shrivel up and die.

"Harriet" a hedgehog mate for Hedgie
and their little ones together

Large mouse on pillow

Flat equine medallion/plaque

Small medallion

Diving into mold making

When Babes...

Finishing up a medallion sculpt in wax

When babes get sick moms and dads get the brunt of that sickness. Well, ok ladies, lets be honest, mostly its us ladies that get the brunt of it. All the tending and cleaning up after are usually left to us. No one does it quite like we do and everyone involved, even the wee little patients, know this. The past two days have found me tending to my son as his body fights some virus. I hope we are almost out of the woods soon. I really hate seeing him sick.

The last few nights have also found me sculpting. Working the wax around in hopes of producing some new pieces for the holiday season. Its been relaxing to move the wax about. As soon as I can share more photos of some of the pieces I'm working on, I will.

Just....

Finishing touches on "Listen"

Just a few more tweaks and then the rattie sculpture will be done! The hands gave me a problem (of course), but the great thing about wax is that if something looks wrong you can just smoosh it, start over and not have to worry about ruining the integrity of your entire piece. You can have as many "do overs" as you need.

Now, I'm bursting to see this sculpture in porcelain. I can't wait!!! This thought is taking me to the finish and beyond. I've already begun to sketch a few more "rattie" ideas. I'm curious to see what I can do next.