Sunday, when I went over to the studio to work on the mold it didn't take me long to think that I might have used the marigold powder instead of the yellow powder when I started backfilling the large flower. The reason I thought this is because when I added more of the 10/1 ratio color, it looked lighter than what was already in there. And if so then I've totally lost control of how intense the color I was trying for will turn out. Later though I thought surely I didn't make a rookie mistake confusing one jar with another. The powders both look the same but the marigold is in a small jar and the yellow is in a bigger jar. So we'll see.
Then I had to decide on a background. I was thinking a light blue, there are blues that don't react with yellow and decided on gray blue but after filling in two sections now I'm not so sure. It would be a pain to remove it without disturbing the yellow but I could do it, well most of it, probably not where the two colors touch.
The gray blue was the color I used for the first failed body for the heron box. You might remember that disaster from late summer 2019. Maybe I'll remove most of it and then layer in some of the indigo behind it.
Watching the bird feeder Monday morning, there's one male cardinal in particular that hangs out and chases off all the other cardinals that light on the bird feeder or the shepherd's crook it hangs from.
Coming back from our walk Sunday, I pulled up a handful of hay grass in the front and passed this plumeria to toss the grass in the garden cart and I noticed this grasshopper laying eggs in the hollow stump of a branch I had pruned back.
Ah well, of course I removed the gray blue Monday morning and I got almost all of it out replacing it with the indigo which looks fairly dark in the mold but I don't think it will be that saturated after firing, at least I hope not because I don't want a dark blue (I know you're thinking that indigo is a very dark blue but this is a tint, one of the very pale colors). It's only about a 3/16” thick layer and so should only be as dark as the tip of the sample after it melts down. But of course now I'm thinking I should have stuck with the gray blue.
gray blue on the left, indigo on the right
I don't know why I'm so indecisive about this but I'll just have to forge ahead as no way can I remove the frit from around the narrow tendrils without screwing those up but probably what I'll do is try and lift out some of the indigo in an uneven manner and put in a layer of clear so it will look slightly mottled. I have no idea how this is going to turn out.
We had a full class at yoga last night, 8, about average for that but sometimes a few more. I start out with breathing and a gentle warm up getting increasingly more difficult from beginner/intermediate to intermediate/advanced as the class is mixed in skill level. I'm not sure when Abby's coming back, maybe next week, maybe not but surely the week after that. It's challenging for me and maybe even a little fun now that I'm over my nervousness.
It certainly sounds complicated! I hope it turns out the way you want it! I think all of your work is so lovely!
ReplyDeleteYour art is certainly not instant gratification! I like not knowing how things are going to turn out- relinquish control to the gods of creativity and surprise! It looks grand so far and the blue samples are both so delicious!
ReplyDeleteIt is so interesting watching this art piece unfold and all the ideas and inspiration that go with it.
ReplyDeleteLove the photos of the art and the grasshopper.
I hate the feeling that perhaps I am choosing the wrong path on something. This generally leads to always second-guessing the decision. Which is so pointless. I think that your indigo is going to be gorgeous. Of course- what do I know?
ReplyDeleteI think it is just incredibly cool that you're leading the yoga class. And getting a full class! That says a lot, Ellen.
Sewing mistakes involve a lot of little thread snips, hard to get rid of. But not so hard as changing out little bit of glass, I'm sure!
ReplyDeleteIt makes sense to me that you'd waffle a good bit. So much of what you do is one-and-done stuff, in the sense that it's not very easy to make changes after the fact. Not only that, it's hard to tell ahead of time how the colors are going to play off one another -- or so I think. It's sure interesting to follow your process, though. I really enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed about you teaching yoga! I know that's something that would benefit me GREATLY, but I've always been gun shy because of my hip issues (also I am lazy). Now that the hip is fine I really should look into something like that.
ReplyDeleteIt would take me FOREVER to choose colors! And since I'm not an artist I'd probably choose poorly about 80% of the time. I can't wait to see how this turns out!
You are ahead of things with your colors.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you're ideally trying for a color in between the gray-blue and the indigo. Is it possible to mix the frit, or do you have to stick with one specific hue? In any case, I think it looks promising!
ReplyDeleteI could mix the two and maybe that's what I should have done to begin with but it's too late for that. I finally just went with the indigo and even added in more.
DeleteI'm sure it will look great! I have confidence!
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