This Frog is Singing the Blues

It's always very exciting for me to press brand new moulds. Today was the day to turn my plaster moulds into wet tiles. My ambition was to press 3 to 4 sets of my new three frog panel. If you don't know what the frogs are all about you can check my post about them here - FROGS!
And here - MORE FROGS!! And don't forget to listen to them sing!

I noticed that the moulds for the frogs on the left and right sides each had a slight rocking action to them as they sat on the table, and I thought to myself, "Drat, that's not right...I must not have leveled the framing very well before I poured the plasters." I decided that by pressing lightly it would be fine.....but no. There is a very distinctive sound that a plaster mould makes when it cracks under the pressure of my hand-press....and a deep sinking feeling follows, especially if it's the very first pressing of a brand new design.

I gently lifted the plaster mould out from under the press and very carefully set it onto the table, clay tile still attached underneath. I eased one half of the broken plaster off the clay, then the other piece. I felt some relief to see that the broken plaster line wasn't visible on the surface of the tile - at least I had one tile pressed. Thinking I might just push my luck and try for a second back-up tile I tried to hold the mould together as I tapped a wet slab onto the top of the the broken mould.......nice try, but never mind.

The broken mould....a heart breaking amphibian experience.

Second view of the plaster gone wrong.

Second try - pressing a tile with a broken mould never turns out very well....the center part of the image isn't fully detailed, and a piece of the plaster sticks to the clay. The thin line of the broken mould is also visible.

Here's the full set pressed and drying....crossing my fingers that the one good piece of the right frog tile makes it safely through the bisque and glaze kilns.

Guess what I'm doing tomorrow? That's right, pouring more plaster moulds!

Bright Lights...Big City

It was tile delivery time again last week. I always love visiting NYC, and since we haven't seen Times Square since they made a pedestrian mall at the center, we decided to spend our one overnight at the Center of the Universe. We didn't get to the City until 11 pm, checked into the Paramount on West 46th and headed out into the very foggy, damp, and chilly evening for a walk about.

Harry and I on the red stairs.

Lights disappear into the foggy night.

The pedestrian mall - no big deal.

Yeah...that's it.

And now for your listening pleasure...a little George Benson.

Cycladic Art from the Met

Last Monday Don, Harry, and I headed to NYC to deliver some tiles to a client in Soho. After a brisk walk down Mercer Street and a hearty lunch, we headed up to the Met for a quick visit. My intention was to photograph some of the tiles on display in the American Wing, but I was drawn into room 161, or there about.

I've been a huge fan of Cycladic art since I took my first art history class many moons ago, and these simple, but elegant renderings always fascinate me.

No one knows for sure what the purpose of these stylized figures was, but since they all have been found in graves, perhaps they served some religious significance.

These three are my current favorites!

We did eventually get to the American Wing......after the exhibit on Guitars.....and the elegant Box Show.....those photos to follow soon!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I fondly remember my childhood St. Patrick's Day celebrations. They always included a cupcake from the local bakery that was embellished with a plastic shamrock or dancing leprechaun on top. I'm not sure how much Irish is actually in my genes. My Mom tells me that she remembers her great Aunt McDougall living with her family when she was very young, and the thick Irish accent she spoke with. People tell me I look Irish, and although I used to drink whiskey, I'm not fond of beer. Go figure.

Anyway, Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone out there - whether you've any Irish blood in you or not.

May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand.

On to the musical section of the program...from my favorite Irish singer, and the song that won me over to him...."Moondance" by Van the Man.

The Frogs are Singing!

The Victorian Postcard that inspired the tiles.

I reformatted the image in photoshop to create 3 single 6x6" tiles.

Here are the completed waxes with the corresponding images above them, along with the postcard and some frog images from the internet that helped me with details.

The three waxes.

The Conductor
"Woody" Sylvaticu
A very talented composer and conductor, he occasionally joins in with the chorus, much to the dismay of the other singers.
Woody sings.

The Bass

"Bully" Catesbeianus

Bully's deep voice adds depth and dimension to the groups classic canon rounds. When the waters run warm, Bully can be found leading the group in song well into the dawn.

Bully sings.

The Soprano

"Peeper" C. Crucifer

The well deserved nickname describes Peeper's never ending and sometimes unnerving croonings during the warm summer evenings.
Pepper sings.

What's up next on the carving table??? I'll be sure to let you know as soon as I decide!!

Etsy Treasury Features

Wow! This is a stunning treasury collection!! Thanks Karen!

'Forest Ferns around the Studio' by ClayLickCreekPottery

Some days the studio feels so green while I'm working solitary. In the end, grab a cup of coffee and wash up.

Pedestal Bowl mikepaluska $69.00	Green Leaves...(matted) thegreenefairy $30.00
Lost in the Wildwood pr... marisolspoon $18.00	Fern Stemless Wine Glas... marywibis $30.00
FERNS, Original Paintin... 2blackbirds $32.00	Fern Stoneware Pie Dish mississippimud... $26.00
Peace Bird on Branch - ... lesperancetile $10.00	Green Fern 8x8 Fine Art... ModernToile $25.00
L106 --- 2 Ferns on fel... kutz $2.50	Shenanigans, Mineral Ey... SweetPeaAndFay $3.98
Leaves of Green- Organi... BeadinBabe $28.00	Before the rain PatriciaPhotog... $20.00
Fossil Fern Dish - Han... justmare $12.00	Mug - Copper Brown, Blu... MarkHudak $20.00
Green Forest Fern/ Ital... chinmayo $200.00	A Walk in the Woods Lux... paintboxsoapwo... $6.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.