Sunday, October 14, 2018

filling molds


Well, I intended to take more photos as I filled the moonflower mold but as usual, I got focused on the work and completely forgot.


Today (Saturday) I start on the first hummingbird mold. I was going to work on it over at the shop where all my glass is, well, except for the jars that have already been brought over from when I was working on the feathers and sand and rock samples (but of course, those are not any of the colors I need) because of the nice dry cool weather we've been having except today and tomorrow our hot humid weather is back because...the curse. Monday is supposed to be nice though. So I've been over at the shop with two pictures trying to match color samples and select the appropriate jars of frit (crushed glass) so that hopefully I will only have to make one more trip over there she says as she laughs hysterically.


The flowers are done and it only took me um, maybe five trips, four or five, over to the shop in all. I could have persevered and got it all done tonight but it would have been another 3 or 4 hours (make that 5).



In between stints at the worktable I picked up pecans. It's been very windy today, gustful, and a lot are falling. I came in with a shirtful three times today from my three trees. And would you believe, I had to water today? All that rain and the ground is already cracking.

This morning (Sunday) was as still as it was windy yesterday but then the breeze picked up some and I've collected more pecans off and on during the day, usually when I take a break from bending over the mold.

I was better about taking pictures of filling this mold until the very end when I failed to take a picture after I filled the background in and before I covered it over with the layers of clear and white.





This is an Anna's hummingbird, one of the ruby throated. The two colors of frit I used for the flowers and the throat of the hummingbird are called strikers and won't become their true colors, ruby pink and ruby red, until they're fired. So this is what I have been doing all weekend in between picking up pecans...

They'll go in the kiln either tonight or tomorrow.





19 comments:

  1. And with that, you have accomplished something I never will.
    Beautiful.

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    1. that's OK. You do all kinds of stuff that I will never do.

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  2. Your work is coming along nicely. It must be so satisfying for you when one of your lovely pieces are completed.

    More lousy, wet weather here also. We are expecting sun for a few hours today. It does not look like that will happen.

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    1. some things I'm pretty confident in how they will turn out. others I just never know, like this hummingbird. I'll see in three or four days if my color choices, placement, and amount of frit produced anything like the picture I was looking at.

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  3. You make me think of the peace of the tedious work of putting it all together.

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    1. well, at least I'm not thinking about the horrible political situation in this country.

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  4. All sounds like fun. We have a freeze coming tonight. Had one week of fall and then cold has arrived. Will have to put up all my citrus plants today. Not fun. Commenting anon - Donna@Gather.

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  5. Have one feeder for hummers, but think most have gone south

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  6. This is so fascinating! It never fails that any job takes at least ten times longer than you think. Pecans! I would love to have pecan trees, as they are my favorite nuts.

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    1. and this process is so tedious. I am ridiculously optimistic about how much time it will take.

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  7. It really is great to watch your process, and see such beauty emerging. Lucky you to have those pecan trees, too. The way the wind's blowing here today behind the front, you might have a good number to pick up. Enjoy the cooler temperatures -- we've had rain all day.

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    1. I used 12 different colors in the hummingbird. some just a sprinkle or a tiny area like the eye and feet. I'm so happy to be getting a crop of pecans this year since we had none for the last three years.

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  8. To not have to bend over, I shop vac hickory nuts to collect. Nuts you cannot buy!

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    Replies
    1. well, that's a clever idea but I would need a very long extension cord.

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  9. I really enjoy watching this process. Show us more!

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  10. How lovely and fascinating to watch your art unfold!

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I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.