WORKTABLE WEDNESDAY

Starting a new weekly feature today, What's On My Worktable Wednesdays. So what is on my worktable (had to look that up to see if it is actually a legitimate word - it is!) today? Well, as usual, a mess.

I have an entire room upstairs devoted to just my crafts. You'd think that would be pure heaven for me. For a short time, it was. But then I realized that I like to be downstairs in the middle of everything, close to my daughter, the phone, the computer, the kitchen, etc. So my craft room is for the most part neglected. There are times I do enjoy being able to go up there and close the door, put on my music, and work completely undisturbed. But more often, I end up carrying stuff downstairs and working on the dining room table. I just feel too isolated up there sometimes. That's where I'm at this week.

My dining room table also doubles as my photo area. I have a small lightbox that I use for taking my photos. It's great because when I don't need to use it, it folds up like a portfolio and can be stored in the closet. It came with the small lights pictured, but the bulbs they contain really are not bright enough. It also came with a little tripod and four different colored backdrops. The whole thing with shipping cost me around $50.00. Here's a similar one on ebay if you're looking for one: Light Box.



So on my table today is the light box because I've been taking pics of polymer clay books that I plan to put up on ebay. I'm cleaning out my closets and getting rid of things I no longer need or want. Check my ebay auctions later this week if you're looking for any clay books. I'm very fussy with my books and keep them in like new condition. :o)

Included with the books I'll be listing this week are several Japanese clay books. I got them when I was invited to Plaid Enterprises' headquarters just outside Atlanta, Georgia along with 11 other craft designers to work with some products Plaid was exploring at the time. What a blast that was! We were treated extremely well by Plaid who flew us there, put us up in a lovely hotel, provided wonderful meals for us, and also paid us for the privilege of working with some wonderful products for several days. There were two very talented Japanese ladies there to work with us. I must say that the Japanese make some of the most gorgeous clay flowers I've ever seen. These books contain a vast array of lovely clay pieces in addition to the flowers. Plaid Enterprises is one of the biggest craft manufacturers in the U.S. for those who don't know.



Also on the table is the rough start to a poor little Old English Sheepdog figurine that has been laying there patiently waiting for weeks for me to get back around to it. Ever start something full of inspiration and about halfway through it lose interest? Story of my life, :oP.



Yes that pitiful blob WILL actually become a sheepdog, someday anyway. Things go through some pretty awful looking stages as we're working on them don't they? But you have to start somewhere. Now I'm going to have to actually FINISH it to prove it actually CAN be something cute! LOL

When I'm not going to work on a piece for a while I just drape a piece of tin foil over it to keep the dust off.

As you can see, I work on ceramic tiles of various sizes that I place on top of a phone book to raise it up some so that I don't have to bend over to work, thereby straining my neck and shoulder muscles something awful. Sometimes I use two phone books stacked on top of each other to raise the tile. Just depends on what I'm working on, but it really helps to cut down on the strain on the body. I also sometimes prop my tile up on an easel if I'm working on something flat. Since the clay sort of sticks to the tile, it stays put when the tile is propped on the easel.



Since I haven't actually been working on that poor OES figurine, my pasta machine, and most of my other tools are not currently on the table. That mess in the corner contains a drawer from one of my storage bins upstairs that I hastily threw a bunch of tools in and carried downstairs. It also shows a slew of finished pieces from my recent show sitting on top of the tub I keep my family's Christmas ornaments in.



So that's my first Worktable Wednesday. Not too scintillating so far no doubt, but as I go along I hope to show you more of what I'm working on. I think it's interesting to see the stages pieces go through. Anyone starting out with sculpting shouldn't feel discouraged when they see their piece go through some of those stages! Those beginning stages can be pretty rough. It's perfectly natural. :o)

UPDATE

Wow, I can't believe it's been so long since I've last updated my blog. I've been going in a variety of directions, trying to enjoy summer vacation with my daughter, amongst other things.

I am working on the sculpting tutorial, but finding it slow going for sure. There are hundreds of recognized dog breeds, so of course I can't even begin to scratch the surface in attempting to explain how to sculpt them all. So I am focusing my first tutorial on the basics of sculpting some of the longhaired breeds like Yorkies, Maltese, Shih Tzus, etc.

I've developed my own techniques over time to aid me in sculpting many different breeds, but what works for me may or may not make sense to or work for someone else. Also I don't always use the same techniques for the same breed. So it's making writing the tutorial an interesting challenge. I'm really just going to try to break it down to basics so someone reading the tutorial can get started but also develop what works best for them.

The tutorial will focus on sculpting flat pieces, just the heads and necks of the dogs, for use as pins, pendants, ornaments, etc.

Other than that, I've been on kind of a break from sculpting for ebay or anything. But now I'm gearing up to do some holiday pieces for Halloween and Christmas. My favorite!

And my daughter and I are looking forward to the Coldplay concert this weekend! WOO HOO!

I'll try to update again soon!



Recently sold Maltese pendant

Trial and ERROR

Well as a self taught artist, learning things through trial and error is something quite familiar to me. I had another taste of the error part yesterday while working on a new technique I'm excited about. The piece looked gorgeous right up to the point where I had to put the glass-like finish on. Then my gorgeous piece rather quickly turned into a piece of garbage. :o(

I know every artist out there can relate. Since we work hard to develop our own designs, we usually have few guidelines to follow. Such was the case with me and this new technique I am so excited about. I am not used to working with varnishes as I usually prefer a matte finish on my pieces.

So I was quite unprepared for the tear-your-hair-out experiences I had working with the particular finish I was using. The culprit? Glossy Accents by Ranger - HATE IT! Air bubbles galore no matter how careful I was. Stored the bottle upside down, opened it upside down, worked with it upside down to try to avoid shaking it up. No luck. Does give a gorgeous finish if and when it dries without all those bubbles. But it's so thick that bubbles often do not make their way to the top of the piece until it has dried and there's nothing you can do about them. :o( It doesn't matter how long you've been working with a particular medium, trying new things brings new challenges. Those new challenges bring a need for greater than average patience. LOL

Well as my fellow artist friend Michele reminded me, Thomas Edison once remarked "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

Thank goodness it usually doesn't take me quite that many tries to figure things out. LOL

While I wait to perfect my new pieces, here are some recent pendants currently on ebay:

PLAYING, EXPERIMENTING, LEARNING

Well I've been temporarily sidetracked by a new technique - new to me anyway, but something many polymer clayers have been doing in one variation or another for quite some time. I'm talking about faux cloisonné. I have always loved the look of enamels and cloisonné, and just recently I came across a wonderful tutorial by Eugena Topina and just had to try it. Eugena's work is absolutely sensational. There are lots of different ways you can achieve the look of cloisonné using polymer clay, but her's is one of the easiest and she has a tutorial available via her website or Etsy shop. I'm still learning so I'm trying to work the bugs out of my technique, but this is definitely something I want to do more of. Here's my attempt at a cloisonné flamingo pendant. Wish I had made the flamingo's neck longer, but hey it was my first attempt and I'm not at all used to working with wire. This technique uses wire, and mica powders encased in a clear dimensional glass-like finish to simulate cloisonné. I also added three Swarovski crystals that have a pink tone to them. Lots of fun, though working with tiny bits of wire can be frustrating!



SCULPTING DOGS TUTORIAL

I've received many emails over the years asking if I had any tutorials or a book available on how to sculpt dogs. I'm now working on a tutorial that will most likely be available in a pdf format and hope to have it ready soon. Of course there is no way I could cover how to sculpt all the many different breeds there are in any tutorial. So what I plan to focus on is the basics of sculpting just the heads of the dogs to use for pins or ornaments, etc. Watch this blog for updates.

Miscellaneous Ramblings

I really haven't blogged much since finishing the dog show, and on top of that, managed to delete several posts and the lovely comments I had received with them. Geeeez. Sorry about that folks!

Today I'm just in one of those moods. Feeling the need to vent about some things I guess.

For starters, custom orders. I am happy to do custom orders. But I need to fit them in with everything else I have to do, and there is a downside to doing them. I am not a machine, and I say this, not to be snotty, or unappreciative of the orders I receive, but to try to explain. I am an artist. I don't pump out mass-produced items. I don't use molds. Everything I create is one at a time, and one of a kind and begins with a lump of clay. Some people value that, some people don't. I'm also human, so I have my ups and downs. There are times I am tired, don't feel well, have too much on my plate and I'm stressed, or depressed, etc. Sad to say, the mood I'm in, or being sick can adversely effect my ability to create my art, but it's a fact. Just like writers get writer's block, there are times an artist is blocked too - which makes it difficult to get all those custom orders done! I know many people don't understand this and feel that when they order something from a "professional artist" the piece should be pumped out immediately, and unfortunately, that's not always possible! I know I'm not the only artist who goes through this, as I have artist friends as well, and it's sometimes a struggle to complete work in the time frame given, etc. I have never missed a deadline, but man sometimes it's hard!

Also the maybe not so funny thing is, I've noticed when I have forced myself to make things when in a not so positive mood in the past, the work takes on my mood! So if I'm grumpy when I'm working, I can easily end up with a grumpy looking dog, etc. LOL If I'm depressed, at times the finished piece takes on a forlorn look. It always makes me laugh when those things sell because I have to wonder if the person buying them is feeling what I was feeling when I created them! But it's not a good thing when I'm working on a custom order. LOL

So I hope people who custom order things from artists will try to understand the process and realize that we can't always work as fast as they may like, etc. As a working artist I've gotten better at being creative on demand, but there are still times when that is a struggle.

Another thing that I have to admit frustrates me is people who write to me asking me to tell them how to sculpt my creations. I have no formal art training. I taught myself to sculpt through MANY hours of trial and error over the past 20 YEARS. There were a few books along the way that helped a little bit, but there was nothing available to teach me how to do exactly what I wanted to do, especially when it comes to the dog art. But I really wanted to learn, so I dove in, and started. The first things I made were a far sight from what I create these days, and there were many many times that I threw clay across the room in frustration, or worked on something for hours just to ball it up and throw it away because I just could not get it to turn out right.

So it is rather frustrating to me that people think I can teach them to do what I learned to do the hard way, over a long period of time, in a few paragraphs in an email! I can give a few guidelines to help someone get started, but no way can I sit and type out full instructions on how to sculpt something! I also have to say that it's rather unethical to ask an artist to teach you how to create THEIR designs, so that you can turn around and profit from their hard work! Not only that, but the inference that my time is of no value, and I should spend it giving away what I have learned is rather annoying if I'm being blunt. I used to do how-to projects for magazines and I did a book for Design Originals, and I was paid quite nicely for my designs and how-to instructions. So when people feel I should spend a few hours of my time giving them that info for nothing, well it gets a little old. If people feel that is arrogant on my part, well I'm not really sorry because I must say I feel it's rather rude on THEIR part. This is my occupation, how I earn my living. If an artist chooses to teach their art, or sell published instructions, that's one thing. They are being compensated for what they're giving away.

Now please don't get me wrong because I am happy to help with general advice when I can. If someone asks me a question about baking the clay, or how not to get fingerprints all over their work, or what can they use for eyes for their characters, etc., I am more than happy to help out. I think the polymer clay community is one of the most sharing and caring there is. I've also had the same experience with the needle felting community. That is not what I am talking about. I'm talking about when someone asks me to tell them, step by step, how to create one of my designs and feels that I OWE it to them to do so!

Where does one draw the line between trying to help a fellow clay aficionado get started, and having someone take up your valuable time expecting you to make everything easier for them because they don't want to put the time in to learning that you did?? Definitely becoming a bit of a pet peeve of mine. In the past, I have spent hours typing out all sorts of information in answer to someone's questions, only to never receive even a thank you or even acknowledgement of my efforts in return. That was time I could have put towards my own PAID work, and it's frustrating to me to say the least!



See what I mean? This little Yorkie looks a bit grumpy doesn't it? LOL Still cute though if I do say so myself! (and I DO!)

I've Been Tagged

Lou of Hunters Designs (which I will be blogging about sometime in the next couple days) tagged me.

Here are the rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as their blogs.

Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Fact #1 - I used to be very shy and quiet, to the point that I barely spoke to anyone at school, etc. I'm the total opposite these days.

Fact #2 - I'm a shrimp - 5'2". These days I seem to be growing horizontally rather than vertically. :oP

Fact #3 - I once took Wilton cake decorating classes. I LOVE the "Ace of Cakes" show, and still think sculpting with fondant is very similar to sculpting with polymer clay.

Fact #4 - I secretly (well not anymore I guess) lust after Jake Gyllenhaal, who is not a whole lot older than my son. But then again I was a child bride the first time around. ;o) But can you blame me? Look at him!



Besides, I believe age is just a number and a state of mind and I'm all for May/December romances. (I believe that more and more with each passing year. LOL) Pretty bad though when your (at the time, she's 16 now) 12 year old daughter's friend offers to cut pics of Jake out of her teen magazine to give to you. Which leads me to fact #5....

Fact #5 - I don't intend to age gracefully. I love rock, alternative rock, some heavy metal, etc. I intend to be like Tina Turner and still be rocking well into my 60's. :o) (I've got quite a few years to go til I'm there though!) So far, thank goodness people always seem to think I'm too young to have kids the ages they are. The day they don't blink an eye when I say their ages is the day I worry. LOL

Fact #6 - I believe in the Law of Attraction. I could tell you some amazing stories.

Fact #7 - I have a major thing for Scottish and Irish accents - though I don't think accent is the right word. Must be my Irish/Scottish bloodlines. :o)

OK my turn to tag 7 people:

1. Kind Clay
2. Chickie Girl
3. Stormy Designs
4. DivaDea
5. Chicki
6. LucyBlueStudio
7. Tina T

New Items on Ebay

I've listed some adorable tiny figurines of various breeds on ebay for Valentines Day. These are miniature original sculptures which are no taller than 1 1/4". Here are the Schnauzer, Old English Sheepdog, and Maltese:







There are many more breeds available with more to come. To check them out please click here: Designs by Ginny Baker

Ever Evolving, Expanding, Improving

As an artist, I am always learning. Despite the fact that I have now been working with polymer clay for well over 20 years, there is always something to learn. I find my work is ever evolving, techniques are always being refined, which keeps things always interesting.

Lately I have been drawn to sculpting one of a kind figurines that are more realistic, and I am finding the process both fascinating and challenging. I absolutely LOVE sculpting with Super Sculpey clay, which is different from the colored clays I usually work with in creating my pins, and other whimsical pieces. The SS is wonderfully easy to blend, and rework. Very user-friendly! This is the clay I created my earliest figurines with as a teen years ago.

From this:



To this:



To finally this:



It is always an interesting, sometimes frustrating - especially since I have no formal art training - journey!

Creating art in clay is for me always an exercise in persistence. As I said, I've had no formal art training. I've never taken any classes in sculpting whatsoever. When I first wanted to learn to sculpt dogs, I found that there were no books available, no classes I could take, or videos I could watch. So in teaching myself to sculpt, I've learned the most important thing is persistence. Many times I have wanted to wad up the clay and throw it against the wall! But something inside of me has kept me coming back again and again. This is how I know that creating in clay is what I'm meant to do. :o) I believe it is not really me teaching myself, but that part of God I believe He puts into each one of us working with me.

Okay enough philosophizing for one afternoon. ;o)