A “No” from Lark Books.

Lark Books returned the slides that I submitted earlier this year to be considered for their new book “500 Resin Objects”. Bummer! Even more – they enclosed a standard letter that does not explain the reason for rejection. I imagine they had lots of jewelry pieces submitted, and mine are not exactly “resin” – they are made using sort of resin in addition to polymer clay, wire, beads, and findings… Still, I really liked the three pieces I suggested for this publication. No wonder two of them were sold very quickly. The third one, a fairy pendant, is still available (hint, hint!).

O well, I will just have to send my pictures to another book, right?

Oak Vase - Finished

Here is the promised picture of my finished oak vase. The vase has been antiqued and re-baked again. I applied some patina to make all the little sculpted details to pop against the darker background. If you want to learn more about this finish (or about lots of other techniques available for polymer clay), please check out my Polymer Clay Glossary:
http://www.eugenascreations.com/polymer-clay-glossary.html



On a side note. I need to get my time organized! Right now, I have no idea how I was able to work full time (and even travel quite often on a job) and still have some jewelry made, photographed, and displayed on my web site. Not to mention all kinds of other projects and activities I had been doing... I thought as soon as I have all this time free from my scientific work, I would make an enormous progress in my sculpting. It has been three weeks since I returned from my trip, but I hardly see any progress at all. True, I cleaned a few places around the house that were allowed to get messy over the last year or two (I knew I would get to them when I quit my job, see), I finished a few sewing and knitting projects... I also made a bunch of new 3D-sculpted pendants with flowers, but it does not show on my web site, does it? I officially promise myself to make regular listing of the new items on my web site my #1 priority. No, actually, #2 priority - after listing both new and existing items in my Etsy shop. I am going to gradually re-stock my shop on Etsy.com over the next month, so please come and visit. I will have some bargains there!

Almost Done!

My sculpted vase is almost finished. The last step is to "antique" it. I shall have the final picture tomorrow.

Sculpted Vase, Oak Tree (continued)

Here is picture #2. The sculpting phase is almost finished. I say “almost” because I may still decide to add or move around a couple of details here and there.

When I started working on it, I thought of big roots to give the vase more support and balance, and the idea of an actual oak tree came later. I think I was influenced by my son re-citing Pushkin’s poem (we teach him Russian):

An oaktree greening by the ocean;
A golden chain about it wound:
Whereon a learned cat, in motion
Both day and night, will walk around;
On walking right, he sings a ditty;
On walking left, he tells a lay.

(English translation by Walter Arndt)

Now I am thinking about adding an actual “golden chain” to make this vase look like the oak tree from the poem… No, I am not going to make a cat to go with it. Viewers will have to use their imagination.

An Oak Tree Vase

A few of my friends asked me what I am working on right now. I decided it is easier to show my work than to describe it with words. Besides, I think it is interesting to see something like this in progress, right?

So, here is my new sculpted vase. Obviously, it is still unfinished. I had been working on it on and off for about a week. It turned out to be more complex and time-consuming than I expected. It is in a shape of an old oak tree, with huge roots and lots of acorns. The roots are climbing over rocks (pieces of Baltic amber) and the acorns are made of fresh-water pearls. I still need to shape and attach the rest of the leaves and acorns, than cure the clay, apply patina, and re-bake the vase. I will show you more pictures of this vase as it progresses.