WE'RE OFF TO JOIN THE CIRCUS

Well, maybe we will just stay home.  I am so excited about my new outdoor studio.  Rich and I put our heads, hearts and hands together to create this new 12 x 20 foot work space; all for around $100. 

We have a large cemented side yard.  The previous owners had some eye hooks in the eaves.  I bought a 12x20 foot tarp and used my workbench as a base for a support beam.  with a little help from some old umbrella stands, voila!  

Rich tightening up the turn buckles.  This technique  was inspired  from his ham radio days putting up antenna.

My current indoor studio is nice but I really needed some work space for my larger sculpture. Notice the access to the driveway, with easy load access to a truck for the large sculpture.

I also have a view to my "Fairy Garden," which hasn't been planted yet, but will be a lot of fun.

Ella Singh

Here she is, finished and ready to be delivered.

This view shows off her beautiful headdress and lovely snout.

Here she is at the her new home.  She has an ocean view, the lucky gal, adjacent to a beautiful swimming pool patio.

Catching a Wave

Can't wait for summer.  I have been visiting the local beaches searching for subjects to paint.  This is the third painting this week and below are the steps to making it.

Montage Beaches

"Ella-Singh" 

My little 2 1/2 old grandson gave the sculpture a hug and said, "Baba, it's finished." Too bad I didn't get that picture.  Basically finished and loving it, just need to clean up some areas and put the final protective coating on.  The collector titled the sculpture  Ella-singh.  

 It's a joyful sculpture that I am sure will be loved. Ohhh Ella-Singh.

Painting the decorations

First I primed the sculpture with Zinzer123 with 2 coats and let it dry a few days to harden.  Then I applied bronze metal coating to the darker area that you see.  With white pencil, I sketched the design and then used a specific white dye to fill in the floral design.  White is a base for the colors to come.

Wateringcan decorations are being put into clay

Glass and metal was attached to create decorative elements of the elephants head dress.  Paper cutouts of flower motifs were used to create the design that will later be painted on and inlaid with stones. 

Stones create the circle around the flowers which will be painted when all the clay is complete.  Soon I will be adding ears and eyelids.

Watering can continues

As I continue adding the final layer of clay, I laid the sculpture down to let gravity work for me.  The final clay is put over the rough texture so it will adhere well.  Into the final clay surface I create a slight "elephant skin" texture by pressing crumpled up wax paper into it.   It is easier to push clay on while the sculpture is in a lying down position than to push clay on if the sculpture were standing up.  After I get to just above the eyes, and under the handle, I will stand the sculpture up to add the decorative details and final layer of clay.  Notice the eyeball...it is a glass eye used for elephant taxidermy!