they are like a prehistoric wedding cake decoration

this is a side view. I used a nichrome wire hook that was inserted into the wet clay before firing. Then, after the second glaze firing I used a nickel wiring infrastructure to build the leaves. Then I wrapped paper mache over the wire to create the surface of the leaves. Finally I covered the paper mache with acrylic paint—and there you have it.

I finished this piece quite awhile ago. However I wasn’t completely happy with it. Something was missing—-I added the dark paper mache clouds —now it feels finished. It was like putting a frame around a drawing. Its hard to know when a piece is really done. There is always one more thing that can be done. This is a rather large piece measuring 14.5 inches high by six inches wide. Enjoy!

I have never incorporated paper mache into any of my work prior to this piece. The clouds are made using this material. Then painted with acrylic paint. The raindrops are created with pencil. The entire piece was then sprayed with a clear polyurethane to seal all the details.

here are a couple pieces that can be found in my etsy shop. I think they look good as a grouping—they get lonesome by themselves.

I am almost certain this piece is finished. I don’t have a pro-picture of it just yet. I am attempting to be more disciplined as far as keeping my blog as up to date as possible—so I’m putting some work out there in cyberspace completed or not. This piece was photographed right after it came out of the first firing and I thought it might be interesting for people to see it in its natural habitat back on the worker bee table.

this is the bottom section of the piece. I use the symbol of an elephant throughout my work. Beneath this piece is a small paper mache ‘shadow’ that gives him more character.

this is a detail of the top section of the piece. it is a white clay body fired to 2240 degrees Fahrenheit—I used underglaze, glaze, and paper mache.