Thursday, October 28, 2021

slow progress and they're already pushing Christmas


As mentioned, I've been working on the luna moth model. Here's my progress from a few days ago


and current.


I'm dithering about using the tiny wax rope for the veins in the wings even as I put them in. The other alternative is to treat them like the veins in the leaves below, which works fine for the leaves but not I think for the wings of a moth. The problem is that they don't always cast well, the glass not wanting to go down in those narrow spaces and so not filling completely and being bumpy as they are in the leaf of the first trumpet flower piece. But if you don't touch them, only look it's not that noticeable (I tell myself).

It's been so hot and humid but Wednesday morning a promised cold front came through with heavy wind and heavy rain but thankfully no lightning and only an occasional distant rumble. The rain ended mid morning and cleared up to clear blue sky a few hours later. It's pleasant out and should get even cooler as the front moves through.

I had my bi-annual teeth cleaning and exam Wednesday and finally scheduled the second to last crown that's needed. How about tomorrow at 2, she asked. Ulp, well I wasn't expecting it to be tomorrow, but OK. This will make #8 in the past three years or so. Busting my teeth up at sixteen and failing old dental work plus another cracked molar. When I get these last two done combined with the seven I already had I'll have 16 crowns.

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OMG! What a fucking ordeal. This crown is the last molar on my upper left side. On top of that, I have a small mouth so with the drill, the water sprayer, the suction thingy, the mirror, and my overbite I had a hard time breathing. I'd have to stop them fairly often so I could take a few breaths then take a big breath and hold it while they worked. Eventually it got done and it was time to make the temporary crown. It took four freaking tries. The first one came out incomplete. The second one cracked as soon as the assistant told me to bite down on it. The third one, which they had the dentist come in and do the adjusting also cracked the third time he told me to bite down on the red paper. More grinding endued. And finally a different assistant made the fourth temporary which finally succeeded. And that whole part of my head aches now that the deadener has worn off. This is not a reflection of the skill of my dentist which I told him at one point was being tested, but more to do with that particular tooth, broken and worn down and hard to get to. And to top it all off, they had the TV on the Hallmark Channel which was showing Christmas movies. In October. Before Halloween.

Seriously, What. The. Fuck.


edit: success was only temporary, the temporary crown broke into pieces during dinner last night.


 

15 comments:

  1. Beautiful luna moth. I really like seeing this piece evolve.

    Hope your tooth troubles are over as soon as possible. Thank goodness for dentists. My mouth would be in sad shape without them.



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  2. What an ordeal with the dentist. I hope it's soon done. Im a small mouth person and dental tools always fill up the available space.

    The moth is coming along.

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  3. Small mouth here, too. I won't let the hygienist use that effing water blaster on me, plus the sucker. Not enough room! Every tooth but the four front are capped, so all that's left to brush are the gum lines, and I do a damn good job, so don't try to drown me.
    Love the moth; all the additional carving is making it live.

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  4. I LOVE that luna moth. I can't wait to watch the progress on it. Beautiful.
    I have a small mouth too and a zillion years of dentistry. Our mouths are filled with the history and evolution of dental care over the past (for me) nearly 70 years. Some of it ain't great. I hope the permanent crown you get is perfect.

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  5. I got a crown this week too. Upper right side at the back. A replacement of an old one. Yes it was an ordeal. It took from May till now to get it right. But now I think they've got it. Make sure your crown isn't too high. That drove me nuts for weeks. Enjoying seeing the month process unfold.

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  6. Well, I'm sorry THAT was such an ordeal. Doesn't the Hallmark Channel ALWAYS show Christmas movies? My mom had it on when I visited her in July and there were Christmas movies on then, too. The moth is looking amazing!

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  7. "Intelligent design" my ass. If we had been "designed" a bit more carefully, our teeth would not plague us our entire lives.
    Just a thought.
    Meanwhile, your moth is showing a great deal of intelligent design- yours.

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  8. I like the work you have done on the moth wings - it is going to look fabulous!
    I am sorry about your tooth trouble - sounds awful! I have one crown and that bothers me so I cannot imagine having 16 crowns! Yikes! Hope your mouth feels better soon.

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  9. The dental issues really abound among us seniors! I have to make an appointment today. Have a real problem. A crown over what must have been a failed root canal. Pain becoming more regular.
    Don't know if tooth can survive a redo. And. I have astounded by asking that the TV please be turned off. Supposedly it is on for me? Well, I prefer it off! Always love your art, Ellen.

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  10. I think there's a Hallmark Christmas movie channel. Maybe. They don't play baseball or hockey on there so I wouldn't know - ha!

    Oh MAN so sorry about your ordeal! I have a small mouth too & I really get claustrophobic. Also, apparently I'm not used to having my mouth open that wide for that long (there is a crude joke just begging to be made here). I hope it all gets sorted out!

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  11. What ever you used on the hibiscus worked well.
    I am so sorry about the crowns. I too have a small mouth and need a new dentist.

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  12. I hate dentists... hate the bad work done on my own mouth. Afraid to go to a new dentist for fear they'll make bad things worse. :/ the moth looks great... what colors will you use on it??

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  13. Even reading about your experience with the dentist made me nervous and a little queasy. I do not like dentists. I need to schedule an extraction, but I'm putting it off (and off and off) because it's not giving me a bit of trouble. I know I shouldn't, but...

    I get what you're saying about the moth wings, re: rope vs. incised. I hope it all works out to suit you.

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