The Flower Seller

I've been away from the blog for a week or so, completely focused on this piece- "The Flower Seller". It's the first frieze incorporating the Muse concept. It's sort of a self portrait- not that I am a flower seller but because every time I have ever taken one of those career inventory tests I'm advised to be a floral designer. She's wearing a checkered apron similar to one I wore at art school too... I imagine her in a lovely outdoor market surrounded by fruit and vegetable stands and artisan's booths featuring polymer clay! In spite of all the hustle and bustle she's in a world of her own.

The piece is approx 11x13" and out of curiosity I weighed it- it's 4.5 lbs.

Now that "The Flower Seller" is finished I found time for some housekeeping in my Online aMused Gallery- there are a few new images there- www.amusedgallery.com!

A post script about my cranky pasta machine- some duct tape and a clamp fixed that problem for now but I still plan to snag a DREAM Machine when it's available!

Polymer Clay Crankiness

Since reading the droolworthy latest edition of Polymer Cafe... (I own the Tina Holden pendant on page 25- the one on the left hand side!) .. I have been coveting one of the new ArtWay DREAM Machines-on page 4. The rollers are 10" wide! I checked the Polymer Clay Express website and they are pricey at $160 but to me a wonderful investment- they don't indicate the price for the motor which is a must have for me ... they do indicate that if you give your email they'll let you know when they are available for shipping.

This morning I fired up my trusty old Atlas and when I turned on the motor the whole machine began to rotate all over the table- the rollers didn't turn- the whole machine did! The pasta machine was flopping all over the table like a flounder! After catching it I tinkered with it to no avail. I have remedied the problem by clamping the machine down but it's making odd noises and do I smell smoke?

So.

No pasta machine. No motor. No DREAM machine available for purchase at this time- the only option is to hand crank on a little machine or buy a new motor and pasta machine to use until I can shell out more money for the machine I really want to buy.

(sigh)

Wanda's Shum's Polymer Clay in the National Post

I was so excited this morning to see my friend Wanda Shum's work featured in a "Creepy Crawly Couture" photo spread in Canada's National Post Newspaper- page WP7 for any Claynadians reading this.

Wanda lives here in Victoria and as solitary polymer clay artists working in our respective studios we often use MSN as our "water cooler" .. it's nice to have company through the day and we both understand why there may be long unexplained gaps in the flow of conversation as we get busy at our worktables.

I'm really delighted that Wanda has this much deserved recognition and it's very cool to see a polymer clay piece sitting comfortably beside a smug little $46,900 trinket from Tiffany. At $35 Wanda's dragonflies are a STEAL. She has items on etsy so check it out! http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5514657

Here's some more Wanda Shum Eyecandy.....

Tulips in a Window

I finished the piece that was based on the photo I took of tulips in a window on Oak Bay Avenue.... it's certainly an "interpretation"! The piece is 10x12.

Revisting Teapots and Ladybugs

A friend of mine wants a teapot to take for a picnic car show. The idea of summer picnics, and a certain red VW bug inspired this teapot... hope she likes it!