I
finished the second heron box model Saturday. It's glued down and
waiting for the mold to be made. I found the timesheet for the first
one...27+/- hours. I didn't keep track this time but I think it went
faster especially since I didn't carve the wavy lines like before but
incised them instead and scraping more lines in between with a wire
brush. Still, it took me a week.
I like it in wax.
I
didn't keep track of my time this time because I've decided to stop
doing that. The point was to help me come up with pricing but in
reality, it only made me realize how little I get when a piece sells
because you can't price artwork by how much time you have in it
unless you are one of those artists who have people clamoring for
your work.
After
I finished the box wax I sorted through my color samples and picked
out three dark blue ones
and then tweaked the formulas for nine new
samples which went in the kiln yesterday. And as long as I was at it,
I made pure color samples of the 7 colors I have acquired since the
last time I did this. I meant to take a picture after I had filled
all the little squares with frit but forgot. Here's my set-up though.
The two sections on pieces of firebrick are tilted up at an angle so
I'll get a sample that is thin at one end and thick at the other. At
least that's the plan. The kiln was 130something˚ when I looked at
it a little while ago.
And
here they are out of the kiln.
Nothing
much else going on around here. Still hot, flirting with near triple
digits, still no rain despite the scant 1/4” we got the other day and were getting into the first stages of drought,
still going out and watering first thing in the mornings and usually
in the evenings as well, still trying to keep all three bird baths
filled with fresh water.
The
white wing doves hang out at the one in the little backyard, just to
the left out of sight in this picture.
Saturday
I caught sight of one of the local red shouldered hawks perched on
the naked lady's head but it flew off before I could get the camera
up for a sneak pic through the door glass.
An artist is seldom compensated enough for all the work that was put into a project. You do beautiful work and I hope you will be rewarded justly.
ReplyDeleteYour temps are awful to imagine. But you must be half way through niw?
ReplyDeleteThese colour samples look great. I love stuff like this. Sorting and comparing colours. I used to dye wool and this brings back memories.
Your work is definitely worth any charge per minute - it's beautiful. But I know what you mean and it is a crying shame that someone so talented is paid so little, while certain idiots with their thumb up their butt have money thrown at them. In a perfect world, there would be no money and wealth would be figured on ability. That would flip the pyramid on its ass, wouldn't it?
ReplyDeleteIt is terrible that unknown artists get roughly nothing for their hard work. But DAYUM, you do fantastic work. You are so talented. I love watching the procedure you go through, too. There was a hawk in our birdbath the other day. It was splashing to get cool i guess. When the sprinklers go on in the yard all kinds of birds come out to get cooled off. We have had triple digits in the temps for fourteen days straight now. We have broken two records. I miss cool rainy days sooooo much.
ReplyDeleteAs usual I am enjoying your creative process. It looks like it is going to be perfect.
ReplyDeleteEven though I earned a living for twenty years at art shows, it took two of us, and even then I spent forty or more weekends a year at shows. It's damn hard work. 'Nuff said on that matter. The only other thing I have to complain about, it's pouring rain and only down to eighty degrees. I'd go out and stand in it, except it's lightening, and so far the closest strike, per the weather app, is 1.3 miles. Tomorrow will be better.
ReplyDeleteI can see how keeping track of time probably isn't beneficial. I guess you have to figure that you're doing what you love, so maybe that's partial payment too, right?
ReplyDeleteI love all those little squares of color. I might like a piece with just those.
ReplyDelete