Slowly Getting Back in the Swing of Things

I have so many things to do and am running low on time - of course! This week I was finally back home and was able to finish a swap for the Polymer Clay Art Retreat. I'm pleased with the results.I love the Mokume Gane technique.

They are being sent off to their new homes today.

This weekend I'll be working on my fisherman and the woodland fairy. Once I paint them I'll know if they are the pieces I'll be entering into the show, if not, next week I'll be starting on a new project. I have until the end of April to complete the pieces I want to submit for the Petaluma Doll Show.

I'm also going to be working on the 2016 Polymer Clay Challenge again. I've missed sculpting these past few weeks and I am itching to make more faces!

See you soon...

What a Long Week!

I had to take an emergency trip to Florida to be with my dad. He was in the hospital with a blood clot that covered the top of both lungs. It was very scary and very, very dangerous! It has been a very long, exhausting week and one that I am thankful to report has had a good end! My dad is on his way home.

I haven't sculpted this week but I will be working extra hard when I get home to catch up on the many projects I have in the works.

For right now I am just happy to still have my dad and to have been here during this scary time.

Be back soon,

Debbie

Polymer Clay Challenge Week 7

This week for the #2016PCChallenge I completed another old man. I am really pleased with him.

Pre-bake

Baked

This week I will paint his face to see how those wrinkles look then add a chest and shoulders for him and also build up the back of his skull. I am very happy with how he turned out.

Here is an update on my sweet face from late week. I added ears and a chest piece to her.

Beautiful Weekend by the Bay

Sunset in the Sierra Nevada Mountains

We are spending Valentines weekend in San Francisco. It has been fabulous so far! I'll be back in the studio on Monday.

Dinner with a view in Sausalito

Fishermen's Wharf

I'm enjoying my time in the city, hit up a local art supply store and have been getting lots of inspiration for my sculpture concept for the show!

Thanks for stopping by :0)

Debbie

2016 Polymer Clay Challenge Week 6 - Part 2

This week I am much happier with how my project for the #2016PCChallenge came out. She still needs some gloss in her eyes to even them our shine-wise but overall I am much happier with how she turned out.

Before baking

After baking

She has not been painted yet. Once I add her brows I think she will look pretty good. Her eyes have some shadow on them already. I am experimenting with an idea for shading the area around the eyes and I think it is going to work once I find the right color of eye shadow. 

I am really enjoying making heads right now but they are beginning to stack up. I am going to have to stat making hands and feet so I can turn these heads into dolls but since I am so inspired to make heads I think I will continue for a bit!

2016 Polymer Clay Challenge Week 6

Sometimes the creative process is quick, the clay does exactly what you want and the person within is revealed quickly and just how they are supposed to be. Other times it is tough and even when you are done you are still not happy with the results. That was my experience with this weeks #2016PCChallenge project.

I worked and worked, redid, reworked, walked away and reworked and even when I was done and baked the piece I should not have. I should have put him down and come back to him another day. His mouth is too high on his face, his chin too narrow. But I didn't and while I like him and I learned a lot from the process of creating him, I still wish I had not baked him so that I could have fixed the things I see now.

Here he is, my week 6 project.

He looks like a leprechaun to me. Hopefully he'll like that. We shall see! I had such a bard time bringing him into the world, I need to make sure I finish him!

Oh well. Lesson learned and today starts another week!

Eyes - The Make or Break Part of the Face

Figure by Renata Jansen

When I create a figure I am thrilled with everything until I get to the eyes. The eyes can make or break a sculpture. Until now, the eyes of my sculptures have been an inset eyeball that I paint once the doll has been baked. They are hit or miss, some good, some not good at all, usually they are passable. But I need them to be better. I need them to be more realistic.

This week I tried something new. Something fabulous! I made two polymer clay iris canes and used them to make much more lifelike eyes to inset into my sculptures. The process is fairly lengthy but if you make many sets of eyes in one session it is worth it.

The tutorial I used was created by Renata Jansen.  I love the look she has achieved with her eyes. You can view her iris cane tutorial here. For her tutorial on adding the iris to an eyeball click on the image above.

Here is my first try at this technique. I'm pleased with the results. The iris' I used were a bit large for this face but I'm OK with it! I still have to put a gloss in them as a final step which will make them even better. (The wires you see are the wing placers. they will be removed and wings inserted later)

I rushed them a bit but I learned a lot! I did get several pairs of usable eyes and will be experimenting with different iris designs. I'm really excited about the possibilities with this technique.

Here is my old mad, I've adjusted his eyes a bit, I have to remove some of the gloss that leaked but they are much better than before though I still like the eyes above better. I'll definitely be using this technique a lot!