Sea Turtle Saga

Nine months ago Karen comissioned a Sea Turle (her totem animal.  I have been having such a time with this. project.

The first prototype I did was smaller, and I thought pretty cute with lots of stamp action on it. Karen found it too busy (I think), and too small. But at least it is proportional (see end!). Fenna has requested this one in her room.

 So I went bigger and had such difficulty with scaling up and getting things to fit in the kiln, not cracking, and finding a half decently interesting glaze etc… Here is one that I chucked as I hated the glaze. Like, really HATED it.

Anyway… 4 large turtles later, this (see below) is where I am at, which I am STILL not happy with. Her head is too small, as are her front flippers. (Jeni suggested I call it a red-eared slider and be done with it... but I think that Karen's totem self may not appreciate being demoted to a small pond-dwelling pet.

The glaze is OK here-- though I think Karen wanted more teal colouring. I have learned through all this to make these large turtles in pieces, and epoxy them together at the end after they have been fired. (This green turtle is in seven pieces.)

Back to the drawing board... These turtles will be the death of me... I had never even contemplated death by turtle, but now... it almost seems appealing.

A giraffe is born

 So my first "horse" has rather too-long a neck, so I glazed him like a giraffe, which works. We'll see what happens with the other three.

Handmaid's Tail-- nearly done...

I've been working on this piece ever since Billy Rae Manghams class at MISSA 3 years ago. She exploded in the kiln, and has undergone massive reconstructive surgery, though if I do say so myself, you can't tell. It has take me a long time to decide what to do with her. I knew I could not glaze her because of her fragile state, but I was unsure what colour to paint her skin. I foudn some cool silver jewelry that I thought would suit, but I knew I wanted to alter those as well. I wanted to play around with some irridescent or glittery paints/ surface treatments. I wanted her to have dragon skin in places. Anyway, she has come together over the past few months it seems. I am remaking a base for her, as the one she  is on is glazed and does not really "match". So she is still not going to be done for a while. But that's OK as I am not quite sure where I will put her once she is done anyway.