• So close, and yet so far

    March 15, 2007

    Today is the last day of winter quarter classes, and I couldn’t be happier. Unless, of course, if I didn’t have papers to write and finals to take.

    My plans for spring break are simple but oh-so enticing: sleep, sculpting, and. . . well, that’s all I’ve thought of so far. But it’s a good plan thus far.

    I wish I had more interesting things to say, but unfortunately I’ve been pretty boring. In my spare time I’ve been trying to finish up my bust sculpture. I’m waiting for my glue so I can attach the head to the body, then I’ll attach the hair, small clothing bits, bake, and paint. I’ll be happy when it’s done, it feels like I’ve been working on it forever. After that, I’m going to work on some small projects, like my food earrings, and experiment with some of the basic techniques I haven’t really tried yet, like caning and millefiori. I hope to get to a Christi Friesen-style vase started, since I’ve been going through the projects in her books.

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    Posted by admin at 2:19 pm

    Clay Show and Tell

    March 4, 2007

    I’m taking a brief break from writing/project finishing/paper writing/flashcard making/studying/literally 100’s of pages of reading to post something more cheerful and fun. I go through crafty/arty periods a few times a year. Usually, they last under a month, and I’m usually not particularly good at them. But since November I’ve been intrigued by polymer clay, which is basically a clay that’s partially made of plastic and can be baked in your home oven. Like most of my endeavors, I haven’t completed many projects; my first attempts either 1) were smooshed by me on purpose, 2) caught on fire in the toaster (I kid you not–it was a sculpture of a dog for my mom for Christmas, and it’s head literally caught fire and rolled off; it was both horrifying and hilarious), or 3) smooshed accidentally. But lately, when I have time, I’ve been working with it more on small projects. I’m thinking of opening a small store on Etsy when this quarter ends/when I’m better to make up for my utter lack of income. Anyway, here are a couple things I’ve done, behind the cut:

    1) Pretzel earrings. Because pretzels rock.

    2) Cheeseburger earrings. One is awesome, and on the other one…well, let’s just say the cheese got messed up.

    3) Chocolate cake and a glass of milk charms! I love my chocolate cake, but the clay for the glass got dusty at some point and turned sort of yellow in the oven, so I’m not happy with that at all.

    4) My bust! No, not my boobs, but a bust. It’s my first attempt at anything truly realistic, and although the general bone structure is over-developed, and it’s not finished at all (shoulders widened, needs hair, will paint it, etc.) I’m still quite proud of it. I’m fond of her, although I don’t know who she is yet. Oh, and that’s not blood on my finger in the first picture, it’s marker, I swear.

    Obviously, these are all first attempts and at a medium that’s new to me, but I’m proud at the simple fact that I’ve finished something I’ve started, and I’m not completely sucky at it to begin with. Sigh. Back to the drudgery.

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    Posted by admin at 10:19 pm