Saturday, November 7, 2009

Some work in progress

I have tried to do at least one or two blog posts a week and this week I failed. We are getting ready for our daughter's wedding and my postings may get a little sporadic. Enough of the apologetic tap-dancing. I have been working on some new items over the last while. To be honest the way that I work is a little higgledy piggledy. Sometimes I will make a series of accessories for some unknown ornament.


I have bases painted and ready for future items sitting in my studio. This step allows me to save time as I’m working.


I have been making realistic looking candy such as these licorice allsorts, marshmallow hearts, and seashell shaped chocolates. They will be used in a series of trays that I have in mind as well as on a couple of cake/display stands. There are about three stands in various states of completion sitting in my studio; this is one of them.

Two days ago I went off to the Salvation Army Thrift store to get a little bit of winter/Christmas inspiration. I love autumn and the holidays associated with that time of year but my brain was stalled and needed to have a fresh input of ideas. I didn't find anything at the store but I did notice a big lacquered bamboo bowl that had definitely seen better days. I went home feeling totally uninspired. In the mailbox was a copy of the Hallowe'en issue of Celebrate 365. Lori Rudolph of RetroRudolphs had sent it to me. Thank-you Lori. Looking at all of the wonderful work in the magazine was just the thing to kick-start my brain.


In the middle of the night I dreamt about that big bowl. I had turned it into a serving tray that was a large frozen pond. I went off to the store the next day and bought it. Once I had it home I sanded all of the lacquer off so that I could apply papier-mache to the surface and have it stick. An Eco friendly item that has seen better days is now being transformed into something totally new. I like to reuse items and it has had nothing to do with recycling. It may be the shape, colour, or a single part of the item that I find inspiring. I then start to make the idea that I have in my mind. I generally do not draw the finished item unless it is crucial to the construction. Working this way sets problems and obstacles in my design path. I much prefer to work this way for two reasons; it never gets boring and it makes me come up with ideas I would never have thought of otherwise.

1 comment:

DellaRae said...

Making old things new is a wonderful thing. Loved your clever, creative idea.