Flame and Ash ADO challange peice

Got some nice photos of Flame and her lil companion Ash today. I hope you like them. The theme of Flame and Ash is Purfiying and Rebirth. You can see Im sure that Flame is a glaring child capable of destructive powers ,but at the same time pure and innocent with her white banadages coving her burns like a nuns habit. These are self imoliating burns as fire and smoke emerge from her mouth shown by the scaring of her cheeks and smoke stains on the bandages. The nimbus symbolizes the intense radiance and enegry within her.

Ash is like a wisp of smoke and has the face of a wize stern but, gental fellow he will see that Flame's destruction fosters beginings ,hope , growth and change. He coaxes tiny spouts to grow. He is attached with a magnet in two parts his head is able to swivel on a neck magnet for posing and the wisp of his body also can be removed from on Flames temple.

I stunned my self with the forcefulness this peice ,but also just a touch disapointed with the completed figure. It is nothing like I started out imagining!

The hair is not quite the color I wanted but, will do . Its a carrot orange with deep red tipping. I didnt get any topaz I liked for her bling but, I gave her a square rhinestone choker that I actauly wore when I was 10 till it broke. The necklace has history so, I hate to see it go ,but why hang on to things you cant use?: shrug:

Most disapointing the layering the colored clay didnt work out . I liked her much better pre-cure cause the clay yellowed and darkend in such a way that she looked ashy and dead. Yes... worse than now! So, balancing this out I painted her with a wash of white. Not wanting to heat cure her yet again I used acrylics instead of genesis. Will have to revisit to see what else emerges at a later date.

I use a white wash on most of my child figures. This has a shamanic spirit world meaning for me. Its also a devise that takes the veiwer away from predictably interpreting a literal clay skin surface. The logical mind likes to label and know it all and it flicks across a peice of art in seconds and says "ah yes I know what this is" plunks it in a labeled box and dismisses it. Does it take you seconds to be done looking ? The part of the mind I want to engage is the side that feels deeply and can stare and be facinatated or lost in what it looks at. It doesnt try to label its only a pair of fresh eager eyes.

To know what Im aiming at.. imagine my sculpts as a misty image that shifts in the light. Because it isnt flawless or entirely tangible youll find new things to see depending on the light. Like a dream child rather than a real one. Did I hit the mark? Its easy when making a painting or taking a photo to mist, blur or grain the image for mood ,in a sculpture its a whole difficnt challange! How to make something etheral thats solid and right there!?

So anyway now I am very interested in working with natural pigments and making my own gesso. I foung this link http://www.earthpigments.com/index.cfm

While out blog skiping.. who was it.. Susan Mcmahon or one of the herbal or art blogs? I dunno lemme know if you think it was you.

I remembered that I used to use gesso alot on my wooden dolls carving and sanding it for shaping.. and at some point it changed consistancy and I could never carve it again. I had no idea this was because the gesso was really acrylic rather than the traditional gesso I had the fortune to use earlier. So my old love for gesso has strirred awake! I think I will try to make some ^-^

Facing the formless void

This undefined bust is how I feel right now. The head in back is old work shes there for moral support. Saying see you have skill in there somewhere.

A formless void ..As if the future is cloudy and unformed just now. More so than usual. Are we at the eye of the storm or is something wonderous about to happen that changes everything?

I had a horrible crash tapering off the Efexor and I never fealt so sick in my life!Im jake now cept for some insomnia really! ^.^And if not Bah anyway! Im ready for my seat next to YOU and the dormouse!

I had some insight recently. I dont give a rats posterior about being in magazines or making a ton of green. Im not terribly impressed by most honors people wave around as proof of something. I dont wanna be a high productive machine. Id rather a few special people cherish my intimate artworks. Maybe pass them on to their kids later.. Thats good cause I had got caught up in feeling a bit guilty for not being the doll a week workhorse type. I imagine alot and research alot and thats part of the process I enjoy. Im not only fashioning the hollow semblance of a figure .I want to capture the soul and full story. You cant do that rushing to 3rd base. Wham bam thank ye mam! is good for making babies fast but, it makes a lousy lover!

I made some tiny food in an effort to feel I was doing something in ther direction of artfulness. Everytime I try to make a face I got some ugly thing. And not as in neat salty character! Ive even stopped work on Flame my ADO Challange peice because I started to strip ,carve away and redo and then strip down and redo over and over! I knew if I kept it up Id have a ruined peice!

I made an Amanita Muscara. I dont think theyre edible ,but see... my names in there.

And a cute morel. Something I cant mess up and finish quickWhew! Someday Id like to taste a morel after were properly introduced. They have a funky look as if they could poison you if they decided not to like you.

I started practicing making these fruit, and forest harvest for a future peice . I want a mediaeval gathering basket briming with bounty of nature. Including honey comb ,flowers, herbs .. maybe some handmade foods like buiscuit or cheese.

A summer abundance theme. Sounds like a positive peice huh? Just watch somehow I will have the best of intentions and something creepy will come of it! >:{ Hey I cant help it dont hate me for chanelling the angel that picked me!

ADO Elements Challange FIRE

This is Flame O'neal . I started her in brown prosculpt since I had that around and I wont use prosculpt for any tiny sculpture since its fragile and I mixed in some kato. My clay was getting low so, Im going through my scrap clay! At this point I hated her. It seemed she might never look right.


Since I missed the other challanges I figured I better do this one cause what if the next challange suxs and uninspires ... Im likely to get kicked out of ADO!


So, anyway I chose Fire as my element. My reasoning is Ive done alot of mermaids,blue dressed peices and I havent done much in the warm tones. I thought of Austrialian opals and citrines and topaz.
Plus I took into consideration the symbolic values of each element. I have plenty earth ,water,and air in my life,but I could sure use some fire! Energy, excitement , passion! A little balance is in order right?

Now I hear in the back of my brain.. you dont belive that fluffy shit do ya? Well first of all the unconscious speaks in symbols ...realy has a time understanding left brain concepts like labeling things and order, numbers , writing, time , schedualing and measurement... ya know all that stuff Im lacking?

And guess what doves?? your muse is most comfortable shacking up in your right brain. So.. its not so far fetched that speaking in her own language (imagery, directions, symbols, faces and emotions) and seeking balance in your expression could make for a healthy muse. Eager to please YOU her helpless host. ^-^
Look what happened. Scary huh? I think I am thrown a curveball sometimes. She appears purple in this shot because of blue skylight. I got this silver nimbus crown and I think she looks swell with it. I decided from the begining I wanted to base my fire peice on the purifying qualities of flame and the way after a fire ash will cause plants to regrow.

Here she is now. Looking lovely and angelical.

She will also have a companion Ash a small being.. I have yet to sculpt him and her hand and of course she needs hair and other things to complete. Luckily I have the end of June to finish her.

Briar as Sandman's Death

This is a custom Briar I am working on. Isnt she haunting like this?:D She needs black eyes which I will make to replace the blue glass ones and her angora wig needs to be dyed black too. Ill need to make a simple black dress for her ,but the thing is she needs some black biker like boots. Im not sure how to make them and the one for sale that would fit her are $40!

She's base coated with Mr super clear and Im using model paints to paint her face. These paints donot blend! However I hate that pastels wear off so easily if touched!

I havent read Neil Gaiman's Sandman series,but I have read neverwhere and stardust. I hope Ive captured the way she is suposed to look. I searched for images online of her and each one seemed diffenrt!

Song a unicorn girl!

Well if you havent seen her yet.. spamed all over I did^-^ I have to post images of my uni girl here too. Im just so proud of this peice! Download the super highres at deviant art!

She is sold today and didnt make it to Etsy. Im sorry about that,but my recent not feeling too hot has progressed into a full blown strep throat or staph. The whole... list it, describe it , price,notify list seemed overwhelming . So I took ye old quick and easy route. Nitabug falls to peices bit by bit film at 11!

Her hair is a 7" long mohair. I put the mohair in peroxide and in a sunny window to lighten it further since I cant seem to find a shiney soft mohair that is a true white. Its still not as albino pure as I had in mind ,but close enough. I kinda wish Id sculpted her fully so I could make her white hooves and forelock too!

She has large holes in her earlobes but no earings. Also a large lowerlip /chin hole but no plug there. Theres a chance that over the ages in bad times gems and gold were taken to be sold or melted down . Sad dont you think? Since we have so few artifacts remaining that show the fine workmanship of the unirace.

The little bit of clothing she has is felted milk fiber. A bit of the storm blue I posted about earlier. Then I added a thread knot. I pull these out of the washing machine and save them. Inevitably the seams on my clothing hook on another peice of clothing and I find these serindipidous knots of colorful threads. I felted that into the milk fiber. Very organic no? And a pretty clear irridecent star pin that at first was sculpted right into her crown on the left side. I think it belonged to her grandmother. This is what my muse says... I dont make this stuff up!

I need to find another star button. one of my many family pet names..my moms pet name for me is Starseed. So I wanted to make a starseed peice. Husband says "no, if you make that its mine"! So , in popped the quirkey replacement name Starwad. I will get around to making a starwad bust when a star object pops up in my life and says" hey there you need me doncha?"*winks*

In the meantime Flame and Ash bust for the elements challange will be emerging along side other bits and bobs.