Open Studio Goodies

These containers are hand built...

This one has overlapping edging...

There is a spiral button on the front...

The polka dots are thinly rolled...

A cool snack after a hot day in the shed...

The Workday: Backwards

Tonight's task is to finish glazing these giant beads...

Black on white, and white on black...

Finished a medium sized arbol de vida this afternoon...

It's dedicated to a friend...

Finished this one, too...

Trying to streamline my construction process this morning...

Betty now falls asleep anywhere, anytime...

Gearing Up for Open Studios

Getting some work done for Open Studios...

Starting early, so that these can dry...

They take forever to dry...

Small and medium trees...

Process Pics: Making a Small Arbol de Vida

Cut out a circle for the base...

Extrude some coils...

Punch an air hole and put a name stamp on the bottom...

Secure the bottom coils well...

Build up the bases, connecting each coil...

Extrude out some branches, they must have time to firm up...

Use small slabs to build up the trunks...

Rough them up and then smooth them...

Cut out some tiny flowers, and then smooth the sides...

Roll the fronts, and then divide the petals...

Cut out some nichrome wire...

Add flower centers and the nichrome wire...

Make some leaves using a sprig mold...

Add nichrome wire, once they've been cleaned up...

Everything is ready...

Beef up the branches...

Slip and score the branches...

Add the foliage...

Here are the branches for the second arbol...

Smooth clay near the attachment points...

Add foliage...

Dry very slowly to avoid cracking...

The second finished piece...

Monterey Pulga

Almost bought this to use as the holder for some ceramic sculptures...

Always a fan of teal jars...

An entire case of old remedies with fabulous typography...

Gorgeous, but very rickety...

Thin, fine porcelain tea cups...

Strangely, I already own one of these...

Memories of the squeaky olden days...

A line up of dudes...

Wind up bug family next to a creepy scorpion...

This was incredibly overpriced, I must say...

Gorgeous chess set...

French embroidered linen...

See you next month...

Listened to a bit of the afternoon mass...

Mary's grotto...

Took home this awesome, giant tooth model...