Recently in Art Category

So I'm working on this project and I decide that I need an antique looking plate showing north and I throw together a 'N' with an arrow through it and decide to carve it roughly into a block of wood and see if I can't sand cast it. But because I'm mostly in a prototyping phase (for several things, evidently) I decide to see if I can't cast just the face of it in a sand mold and not bother with the whole cope and drag. But because I'm forever making stamps or sprig molds for clay, I naturally decide that it needs to be backwards. It wasn't til I was pressing it into the sand that I realized I was making a positive casting so the original had to be forward. (I flipped the pic just so it would look right... full disclosure, you know). Anyway I decided to go ahead since I had it and it was getting late, and then if it worked, maybe I would cast the cast and have a relief 'N' instead of a raised one, as long as it looked old.

But I ran into a few problems. I don't have a furnace, and my acetylene torch doesn't have a big enough tip to keep that much metal molten very easily. The casting poured short, probably because I couldn't keep it hot enough, and I think it's too much copper. I need to find a source of tin to formulate a good bronze alloy with all the spare copper I've got laying around. I melted down some old bronze I had, but I knew it wasn't enough, so I just made up the difference with copper.

Maybe I should have done aluminum, but aluminum wouldn't weather the way I want it to. So in the end it may be a good thing that I did make the original wood cut backwards, because I'm probably going to end up using it as a stamp.

This has been sitting on my shelf for over a year because I couldn't decide how to finish it. Since I have a new project I don't know how to finish I thought I'd push this one through any old way.

Turned out ok, I guess.

It's Debbies birthday today, and since she says I never get her flowers I figured I could make a rose for her. And since her favorite color is blue, I thought I'd do a copper one with an ammonia cold patina. Since she is working such long shifts for the approaching tax deadline I had a couple hours after work every day before she got home where I could work on it without suspicion. I had been mulling over how to accomplish it when I found a youtube video where an artist detailed how to forge a steel rose. The original one is missing now, but there's a sequel that is pretty much the same thing here on youtube It was a lot of fun to make and everyone that's seen it has seemed to like it. Maybe I'll have to do a bouquet.

Happy Birthday, sweetie!

I got up some gumption again and managed to enter the Clay Arts Utah fall show. I put in three pieces of crystal pottery and got all of them in. Charles Arceneaux is the chairman and I got a choice location in the window. I was pretty nervous all day. I really dislike showing my stuff, especially because I'm just kind of a dabbler, and I don't think my stuff is better than average.

I did put in my fee for the after Thanksgiving sale, so I guess I have to buckle down and make some stuff.

So after a couple years of good intentions, and with a lot of downtime on my hands I've launched myself into National Novel Writing Month. I had a pretty good first day, getting nearly the 1924 words that is my goal for each day. The idea is to spend all November writing like crazy and get 50k words in by midnight of the 30th. I'm writing the story I've had in my mind for several years, and while I've surprised myself a few times with some nice passages, I'm really struggling. I had a busy day Saturday so I got kind of behind. I can't wait till something happens, though. I gotta get this kid out of the University so something can happen.

But the sun shone today, so there wasn't many people at the studio. Chuck and I took advantage of it and made up 5 and a half glazes to try out on the gas kiln. I'm exhausted and contemplating a nice early bedtime, as Debbie and Kayla took a lil road trip to let Kayla stay with her dad down south and visit friends.

Also, a note to self. Don't drink a half gallon of orange juice just because you have no refrigeration.

I found this through William Gibson's blog and really didn't want to lose it.

Women in Art

maybe someday youtube will be able to post to movabletype...