Klimt Veneer Continued ... Day 3

Still uncured, going as far as feels comfortable, and finally making notes, something I fail to do, much to my chagrin a year or five later ...Pendants and earrings here ... a trinket box is about to be cured, but not yet photographed. The heart will have a pendant/brooch finding.

....After a Long Hiatus ......

Back to my polymer origins for awhile, when my pleasure was in paint and polymer and fooling around.  I loved veneer before I knew people used such techniques as well as other applications that I discovered for myself.
Klimt inspired, these six pieces of veneer (#7 Atlas) black clay, design drawn into surface, acrylic pigments.  Not yet cured.  Not yet tweaked...if necessary.

Next?  What to do with it?

Geek Meets Glam

I wear readers and have for a long time. I'm always misplacing them or juggling sunglasses and readers and I don't know how many times I've had to frantically search through the bookstore or market trying to remember where I left one or the other.
I don't care much for the regular ones as they're hard to change back and forth with those little stretch thingies, so just for the fun of it I made one of these. It worked. I wear one nearly all the time now.
Exchanging readers for sunglasses is a piece of cake.

By the Sea ....

We recently took a road trip down the coast to Key West and then back up the West Coast.  As always that gorgeous water is lusciously captivating.  
I wanted to attempt to capture a bit of the feeling of the color play and decided to work with earrings since they are suspended and move and can capture the light. 

I used a simple combination of 3 blue shades, a bit of gold and of course translucent--all Premo.  Thin THIN layers. 
To my surprise and delight, this pair was featured in Polymer Clay Daily, always encouraging to everyone, and perhaps particularly to a self-taught person such as myself.  Thank you, Cynthia Tinapple!

Back to the worktable!

327 Years and Counting

Just back from a road trip down the Eastern Seaboard from Georgetown SC (a very sweet town) to Key West, less sweet but pretty cool.

 I'm somewhat obsessed right now with turquoise (waters).  I'm always somewhat obsessed by turquoise, but that's another story.

Also, fresh from a vacation, or perhaps I should say a break, since road tripping that distance in just over 2 weeks with six people isn't exactly relaxing, no matter how much fun it might be. 

And it was.  Exhausting.  Fun.

So, upon returning and spending two days doing cat laundry, our laundry, and remembering the most basic of Things Which Must Be Done Daily, I returned to the worktable determined to use up every bit of  clay, beads, findings and assorted I've held on to through several destashings, gifts to local school arts teachers, etc.   This is either before or commensurate with the painting supplies, canvases, oils, watercolors, acrylics and colored pencils, papers, canvases, brushes etc. 

If I opened an art store tomorrow, it would rival Cheap Joe's or Blick's  for at least a week. 

This is where the 327 years come in. It will take that long, at least, as long as I do not buy anything other than fill-in to finish this or that.  Ear wires.  Chain.  The once a year 2 oz block of orange I like.  

That sort of thing. We live long in my family, but this may be pushing it. 

The focal in this piece, as well as the two triangular beads in earrings, were made about 6 years ago.  I made a statement necklace which I then couldn't part with and these remained. (pictured) There are still 3.    The faux faux amber (I wasn't trying to make amber, just the color) are from the red bird pendant I made earlier this year,  the turquoise ovals and heishi from The Stash.  I used 20 including the 2 large beads.  Okay, make that 479 years. 

They don't look like Florida so much as they feel like it, at least to me, and my friend Sheila who is lucky enough to live in St. Augustine, says I got that right. 

Undisclipined Me

I keep meaning to be more regular in my posting, but  so many things, many totally useless, keep getting in the way. So I will start where I am, and bounce around in time as necessary until I'm back In the NOW.

I've been working on leaf and ink techniques lately, inspired by a technique described by Page McNall.  I only went about halfway with her process, but got all involved with the needle carving/drawing and then of course "painting" either with paint or alcohol ink or both. 

She's on Flickr

I've done several, but the most current, now in progress, are these, destined to be earrings, done on copper leaf.  All are still in progress, so will no doubt be tweaked before I'm done.

                                                      

Red Bird Mosaic Pendant and Necklace

January 2016   Red Bird

A spontaneous sketch ... two sessions later. a Mosaic Pendant

 

A thin layer of gold Premo was applied to the back before baking just enough wider than the front to accept the extruded bezel. An admitted afterthought, but useful to know. The bail was then added as well.  

A hollow cord was used (shown off-center) to allow wire to be threaded through but to have soft material to protect against wear on polymer bail.  Wire required to accommodate coral beads.

The beads were made from scrap from the tesserae (tiles); the large beads made from translucent clay tinted with alcohol inks.  Beads were lightly buffed.   Red beads are dyed coral.

A polished black chain was used to complete.  It is 25 inches long and is intended to slip on over the head. 

Winter Birds Move to the Blue Ridge

It appears my newest (Winter Birds) have rebelled and headed for the hills -- the  Blue Ridge, to be exact.   Yesterday was sunny, this morning was cold and raining and I have no idea why other than that.  But I'm happier ...

Winter Birds (working title)

Sketch done last night ..  I was thinking crows/ravens but as often happens they may not end up as such.  I've sketched onto 12 x 10 canvas and have painted in shapes ... roughly here at this point

Right now I prefer the sketch.   It is more lively right now -- hopefully the canvas will catch up.     I'm thinking of working with roughly the same palette as the yellow bird but in winter mode.  We'll see. 

I Wish I Was In Thailand .....

Yesterday I finished a new painting.  I haven't titled it yet but am really happy with it.  It is only the second piece I have done in some time.  As cold as it has been here (and almost everywhere) the colors alone have been cheerful.
The bird is a very rare creature; as far as I know, he is the only one of his kind.    So without further ado ...

I felt rather tentative until the last session (yesterday).  It's been a long time and  while you don't entirely forget, rustiness enters in.  First day  starting on a canvas which I had painted with a turquoise ground (mistake: should have only done background) ....not that it couldn't be overcome, but the one thing I had known from the beginning, was that the bird would be essentially yellow, and all yellows, even the cadmiums, tend toward transparency so it is easy to lose luminosity.    On the left is end at session 2; right session 3.  Sessi9on 1 was just ground color and sketching bird plus two of the flowers ....

 

The piece is 14 x10 and done in acrylic on stretched canvas. 

 

 

 

 

 

My Blue ( mosaic) Cross

Added to my Etsy shop today  $24 including shipping in USA. 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/patibannister

 

EIGHTEEN PATICAT NOTECARD COLLECTION

As suggested by several people, I will begin to offer selected collections.   This is one that was specifically requested.   Essentially 3 $20 sets for $52.00; postage in the US included.
However, while much of the country is freezing, it is a weird but warm 70-something outside, so that's where I'm off to for now.
Ciao!
https://www.etsy.com/listing/172020091/eighteen-different-cat-notecards-a?ref=shop_home_active

Choosing Six ...

Several friends and acquaintances have suggested or asked that I offer a choice in my notecards, so I spent the day setting up the first 18 to allow exactly that.  I like the idea because, since I print to order anyway, it isn't much more complicated to do this for people, and it will tell me over a few months which people respond to most.  I have dozens and dozens of cats so it's good to know.  
I really enjoy doing this, though I will admit I'm looking forward to getting back to creating new works on a steady basis. 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/171846059/choose-your-mix-of-six-from-18-cat?ref=pr_shop

Oh Julius ... You've been a Long Time Coming ...

On Sunday, I completed the first painting I had done in about 3 years, and the first cat painting in perhaps 4.  It's not that I lost my love of or fascination with cats, it's that living with eight has given me a bit of that "Coals to Newcastle " syndrome.

So without further adieu, here is Oh, Julius a composite of six creamsicle-marmalade-gingers I have known over the past 25.  Three lived or are living with our son, two with us and one a darling rescue from New York who it seems, half the social networking country fell in love with.  

The painting is 5 x 7 inches, his eyes follow you, and he is very sweet.  I will keep him for a time as a talisman which I hope will encourage me to get back to painting on a regular basis, but may do a limited number full-sized prints on canvas. 

I've just added a new blank notecard to my Etsy shop (Pati Bannister).  It's titled "Sonny with Flowers" and is pretty charming, if I must say so myself.   

 

I'm also working on a Christmas card.  First painting in a long time.  Rusty, Rusty.  

I'm hungry right now so will post a snapshot of Friday's supper.  While we are not vegetarians, most days you wouldn't know it.  This dish is collard greens, Yukon gold potatoes, onion, mushrooms, with red pepper flakes, liquid smoke, salt and pepper.  I served with a simple side of scrambled eggs seasoned with fresh Mexican tarragon, salt and pepper.  Served with Pacifico beer. 

Ivory Keepsake Box

I am in the process of pulling things together for the "Misadventure" box, so took the opportunity this morning to photograph a box I completed about two weeks ago.  
I am very happy with the flow of the design, which reminds me of the sea .... it is quite elegant and feminine in feel.
This box is cedar, and covered in textured and carved pieces of  white-ecru polymer clay.  Graceful curved areas were left and then filled with handmade circular motifs, also carved.  In some, tiny aquarmine beads were inserted for delicate contrast.
The interior of the box as been antiqued, as has the bottom.  The underside of the lift-off lid has been signed. 

Cedar Faux Ivory Cigar Box

I am so pleased with this box, and as often happens in such cases, I've held onto it for a long time. I made it out of a white-ecru mix which I textured, then cut into I don't know how many narrow strips and covered the entire exterior, including the bottom. Once that was done, and the box cured, I sanded and buffed and then applied a glaze of raw sienna and burnt umber. A striped agate bead I especially liked was then fixed to the top, a narrow black bezel created and the piece was cured again to fuse the glaze and cure the clay bezel. I've left the interior natural to allow it to be used for proper cigar storage, and cut a removable dark brown suede piece for the base. The box is 5 3/4 inches long, 4 1/2 inches wide and 4 3/8 inches tall. The entire exterior of the box is covered, including the bottom. I have signed the underside of the lid.

My Cat Bookmarks and Polymer Clay Daily

I was so happy to see my bookmarks featured in Polymer Clay Daily on the 20th of this month...of course, if I had even thought this could happen my blog would have been more up to date. That said, creating this little family as well as others who are in various stages of completion has been such fun, allowing me to combine my love of cats, carving, painting and polymer clay into something whimsical and even useful.

Autumn Beads .. Soon I'll Hear Old Winter's Song ...

A week or so ago I spent the day building stacks/loaves of colors inspired by the colors outside my window. While we haven't had a spectacular autumn, more one of those one tree at a time things, the colors are still in evidencef, rather like a slideshow when one segment dissolves into another. That said, I've made a selection of beads. Here are two. More to come.