hollow forms

Time Rushing
 These past few weeks since our move have been slipping by rapidly- can’t believe I’m nearly 8 months along now. The San Antonio heat has been sapping my motivation to get things done, and it’s not even summer yet.
 Decisions for our baby girl’s room took me forever, nothing seemed right and I couldn’t make up my mind..similar story for these bronzclay pieces. There is a nebulous idea floating about in my head, but the harder I try to focus on it, the more blurry it becomes. So my favorite fall-back option is in effect- I’ll just wing it. It seems like forever since I’ve fired any metal clay, even had to look up the firing schedule to jog my memory.
 I’ll have to show a pic of the backs after they finish firing, my idea was to have the option of stringing or wearing them as a brooch. A technician I am not, so we’ll see if my idea pans out. What a pain in the posterior curved hollow forms are! Not sure why this was my idea of a smooth re-integration with metal clay.
Color is also something that has been nagging at my thoughts, and getting to use up some polymer clay that has been lurking in my closet (some of it for years!) is a bonus. Maggie Maggio and Lindly Haunani’s book was a great learning tool. Maggie has a lot of great info and videos floating about on her website and youtube. Her color aesthetic is very appealing to me since I usually reach for those earthy/mud colors because they usually fume so nicely in glass. I’m proud of myself for getting all those colors mixed together and finishing this exercise, it will be a wonderful color tool for whichever medium I decide to use.
If the hollow pieces survive my somewhat inept touch, I’ll post pics tomorrow.
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Post Firing- BC Hollow Forms

Just a quick shot of the fired bronzclay hollow forms- my free form number hollow bead on the right developed a few fine cracks and must have had a weak spot of the back since it has the most damage. It was fired on its side, so maybe I sanded it too much- can’t say as I really remember since the forms were made more than a year ago.
I’d like to get a nice patina on them that is a little more permanent than what the firing medium gives. Any suggestions?

Gearing up for BABE! 2010

The blog has been woefully neglected (again) while I’m trying to get as much done as possible during my short spurts of free time, i.e. nap time. As my dad loved to say, “I’m busier than a one-legged man in an ass kicking contest.”
Not sure if the slip-painted pattern on the left is too weird- the inspiration came from two different sources: the grease trail in my frying pan and one design from a book of quilts.
Oh, and these are some of the bronzclay hollow forms from more than a year ago that I’m finally getting around to using. Good thing they don’t go bad- although they’re hard as rocks to try and carve..hence, the slip painting.

Slip Painting Again

Slip painting is harder than it looks, let me tell you. Or maybe I’m just not doing it right? If you look closely you can see how my lines look slightly imperfect *ok, let’s not belabor the fact that it’s more than slightly*..what do most people who slip paint so to keep their lines, etc. looking perfect? Is it just lots and lots of practice or something else?
I tried to correct my mistakes by using one of my half round files and sanding the edges, but it’s still not quite perfect. Maybe I should embrace the idea of Wabi Sabi and be happy w/ what I’ve accomplished? Hmm, maybe that’s a better idea, lol.
Still obsessed w/ this style- is it too odd? I hope not since I’m compelled to keep doing it. It’s starting to feel like a stylized type of architectural line drawings..only w/ numbers and other symbols worked in.

Now the main thing I’m worried about is trying out shelf firing a la Angela Crispin and Catherine Davies Paetz on the hollow forms- has anyone done hollow forms successfully this way?