Can You Tell What It Is Yet? - Part Four

There have been some really good guesses so far, but sadly none have been right! Thank you to everyone that has been joining in! I feel sure that today's photo's will completely give it away!

I found this part really tricky. It's at this point that I decided that working from a photo might be a good idea! I pulled off some of the polystyrene to get it out of the way, but some of it is starting to come off in my hands when I try to turn it! This piece is getting heavy!


I feel sure that once you see the next photo you will know instantly what this is going to be! (Although I took the photo at a different angle to try to disguise it!)



I've been shopping around for just the right sized frame for the prize! Unfortunately, I've had no luck yet, but I will keep trying!

Remember - one guess each for this post! If we have a winning answer, it will be revealed tomorrow!

Can You Tell What It Is Yet? - Part Three

This is where the piece starts looking... interesting. Is the curiosity and anticipation mounting?

In this photo I had to wait for one end to firm up a bit, so I started working on the other end...


... then I decided it was all wrong and took it off again...


... and then I had to re-build that section again! I must have done this at least three times! In the mean time, I continued closing up the top.



Any ideas yet? At this point I didn't have a clue either! But I feel sure that the next couple of photo's will be a complete give away!

Can You Tell What It Is Yet? - Part Two

No correct guesses so far, so on with the competition. Remember, only one guess each for this post, and the first one to guess correctly is the winner!

Don't let these walls for support fool you! (A tip I learnt from Leanne)


I have this amazing tool for making holes in clay - it's called a drinking straw! You just poke it in the clay and when you pull it out it leaves a hole! I'm the queen of improvisation!


That black thing that it's sitting on is my "whirler" - or in layman's terms, "the polystyrene plate that my frozen pizza came on"!



More clues tomorrow!

A Rolf Harris Moment - Can You Tell What It Is Yet?

Now that (some of) the festivities are over I thought maybe you could all do with a pick-me-up to help you get over those post-Christmas-blues. I know, I'm so thoughtful :) So, it's competition time!

I've been working on one of my planned projects this week. It was coming along so quickly at first that I actually thought I might finish it in one "session". Alas, after five hours it was still not finished! Can you tell what it is yet?



Ok, probably not, but I wanted to give everyone time to join in, so for the benefit of those who don't check in as regularly as others, the progress will be revealed slowly! Clue two is coming up tomorrow! So check back if you want to be in with a chance to win!

Umm... yeah, I'd just like to point out that what you see above is not five hours worth!

I have photographed the piece at various stages and I thought it would be fun to see who can work out what it is first! Answers in the comments section please! And only one guess each for this post! If you change your mind you'll have to wait until my next update!

(Any suggestions for a prize?)

Experimenting

Today/yesterday (I don't know, I'm confused - I woke up before 3am so it feels like the same day!) Anyway, I bought some clay! Yay!

I was looking for a white clay and my (ex) tutor suggested that white St. Thomas was a good choice as a lot of potters use that. But when I got to the suppliers I looked at the fired colour in the catalogue and it didn't look white at all! So I went for a different one which I think is lightly grogged and supposed to be good for hand building - which is what I want.

I also bought another clay which they call crank. It's very coarse and heavily grogged, and is supposed to be very easy to work with and good for hand building. I had seen a piece made with this clay at class and the results were beautiful. It looked like it had been made with something like cork or woodchip. I realised today though that crank comes in different colours, so I hope I bought the right one. Edit: apparently it is known in some places as chamotte.

I'm also experimenting with making my own slip for slip trailing. This is something I've wanted to try for a little while, and right now seemed ideal since I want to coil build a little dish to sit under my plant pot and a) I couldn't get the lino print to work well on the coil built piece so I will slip trail the design instead, and b) my old clay is now too firm for me to coil build effectively so I will allow the remaining slip to dry a little before I wedge it and re-use. I remember Cynthia saying that plaster board is ideal for helping sloppy clay firm up because it soaks up the moisture, so I went to Jewson's today and they gave me a scrap piece that was no use to them.

So, with so many new things to try I am going to try to stay away from the computer this week! Time just seems to fly by so quickly when I am sitting at this thing, and by the end of the week I would like to have finished at least my little dish for the plant pot, and one other project that I have in mind.

So if I don't speak to you before hand, I hope you all have a lovely time with your families over the holiday period. :)


More information on crank (you'll need to scroll down the page, I can't link to the item directly)

So...

... I didn't manage to get any clay on Thursday or Friday. The supplier is a couple of towns away so I tried ringing before I went over to collect (as they suggest) but I just kept getting the answering machine. It's a shame because I've been having some great ideas (or they will be if they turn out right!) and I really wanted my nice white clay to work with. This particular clay is supposed to be pretty good at holding it's shape and not prone to shrinking so much either.

I have news about classes... I had already re-enrolled on my current class but I was ringing round trying to find other classes. There was one in the next town, which was nearer than the one I go to, but it's not running for some reason. Mind you, it was twice the price! Not sure why that is. But then I found out there was another class in another nearby town, which is run by the same council as the one I was going to and held on the same night, so it was easy to switch courses, which I did! It was a bit of a snap decision so I hope I am not jumping out of the pan and into the fire! I will find out in January won't I?

Also, I came across more courses but they are quite far away - I'm guessing it would take me about an hour to get there. I am seriously considering taking one of these courses though because there are various levels and they seem much more tailored to the individuals needs. The price is roughly the same too, which is great considering they sound so much better. The distance puts me off though, especially as I won't really know what the class is like until I start it. I wish I could go for a "taster" first. I shall have to decide soon though because they start in January!

"I Shall Eat, Drink, and be Merry... "

"... for tomorrow I buy clay!"

That was my motto for the evening, and I stuck to it! It's been a while since I drank any Pepsi so I decided I should probably dilute it with large quantities of Malibu! With that and my chocolate liqueurs I was definitely merry!

Of course that was after I came in from having a lovely time at the life drawing class. I have to tell you, the tutor at that class is so lovely. He is so encouraging and so genuine. He always makes me feel so important, and although he is a great artist and I am just a learner, he treats me as an equal. I've only met him four times, but each time I like him even more.

He didn't know about my art college rejection, but one night, after admiring a couple of my early portraits, he said to me: "Don't go to art college - it will ruin you". I felt ten feet tall as he really made me feel that I was too good to go to art college!

Tonight I mentioned my clay class and the fact that my tutor there won't let me use my own glazes. Although he knows my tutor and likes him as a person, he didn't try to justify his decision, he just simply said: "Then that class isn't for you". He recognises the importance of being able to grow in your own direction, and that is what is so great about him.

So after all that waffling I suppose it's about time I showed you what I drew tonight!


Hmm... I see now that her body gradually got bigger as I went down! Oh well, I'll claim it as my style and that will make it ok!

Let me just say a huge thank you to Queen Crafty Girl as well. I was so moany again in my last post and she was so encouraging in her comments. Thank you Queeny! You really are something special.


B6 sketch stick on A4 heavyweight paper.


PS. Oh yeah, I forgot - this was my lovely dinner in my new roasting dishes! Yum yum!