Wendlyn at the Pumpkin Festival

"Wendlyn's Doorway"

This evening starts the 2013 Milford Great Pumpkin Festival. For lucky people like me, (aka, those setting up their booths in the town hall auditorium) we don our festival game-on faces tomorrow morning at 10 am and can't relax again until 8pm. I'm also there from 10-3 on Sunday. (Monday? I'm crawling under my giant fern on the balcony and falling asleep in a fetal position until Tuesday.) I never got to make my steampunk faery in time for this event - I just wasn't inspired enough by a storyline. BUT! I did create this cute little girl. For your viewing pleasure: "Wendlyn's Doorway."

Wendlyn is a bit of a ragamuffin, bohemian sort of gal. She started with an antique key, a couple of pieces of wood and some fabulous ribbon I found at Michaels of skeleton keys. Not being a huge wood-worker, my father went to work cutting and connecting the two boards to create a stand and backing for Wendlyn's portal to the realm of Faery. I created the door out of copper, silver and green clay, cut the keyhole by hand and -magic!- you can peek inside the keyhole to see the lush magical forest beyond. Want to see more? Well, Wendlyn is the keeper of the key to unlock it. Maybe if you ask her really nice...

Her skirt is half clay, half real ribbon and lace.

Wendlyn is also a special addition to The Silver Branch OOAK faery line because she is a teaching piece. I took pictures of her throughout the creation process (when I could remember to! Sometimes momentum is everything in sculpting). And I will soon be taking down the ridiculously stuffed fan art board in the hallway to post pictures and explanations of her creation. This way, I hope more visitors to Riverview Mill and my studio will understand how special these little faeries are because of all the work that goes into them! Here is one of the creation images.

Working to position her head. Forgetting to give them ears is one of my worst habits. Ears are so fragile when the clay is wet that it's best to leave them off as long as possible. I've sometimes had to rush sculptures out of the hot oven before they've cured after realizing they're missing their ears! I didn't forget this time. Once her head was positioned, she got two cute little pointed ears.

Dannon's Dragon

Dannon's Dragon

No one knows better that pet ownership is a such a great responsibility as Dannon, who decided to raise a dragon as his pet. He had enough problems when the dragon burnt his slippers, ate his newspaper and flew right off his leash. But now that the dragon is looking to start a treasure hoard of its very own – starting with the Faery Queen's jewel - Dannon is starting to think about keeping a pet hamster instead.

Well balanced to stand on its own.

Dannon's Dragon is completely hand sculpted without the use of molds. The sculpture started with a glass gemstone which was fashioned into a birch base so that it would stand on its own. The little red dragon was sculpted and cured first using polymer clay, hematite and mica. After that, an armature was created out of steel and aluminum for Dannon's form. The armature was drilled into the birch base and sculpting began with his body. His armor and clothing were also hand sculpted out of clay and a touch of paint and mica powder was added to accentuate the metal of his mail. His hair and hand made wings were added. The whole process took just about a week to complete. 

 

How can he say no to this face?

I'm bringing Dannon and his ambitious little pet to the NH Renaissance Faire this weekend, along with Alula, Meeka, Willow and a bunch of gnomes! :D

Niamh and Cameron - the last faeries of 2012

"Niamh" (pronounced Neev)

For those who know me in the human realm, November and December has become a frenzied time of year. I can feel the water gaining momentum in October just after the Pumpkin Festival. I try to ignore the upcoming eddy as I enjoy the falling leaves and earthy feel of the month. Then WHOOSH! November! Show season mayhem! Over the edge of the rapids I go. This past year, I had a show every single weekend and no time to breathe, sculpt and enjoy my art as much as I set out to do in the start of this whole sculpting adventure. In late december, I reached the bottom of the falls and was a little worse for the wear with a chest inflammation due to stress and a minor injury that actually prevented me from sculpting and working in the studio. Even now, I'm still recovering - which anyone who has come to visit me at the studio only to find a note on the door will attest to. I'm taking that as a lesson to never book myself so tightly again. Sculpting and my health became secondary to the business side of the equation. What a difficult balancing game this is and it's so easy to tip the scales!

Okay - you can put the tiny violins away now. I am quite happy with how 2012 went otherwise. I moved into a new studio and opened it as a shop as well, taught some fun classes, made some awesome new creations and met some genuinely great people I would have never met if not for this magical path. In late October, I even squeaked out some new faeries and mermaids before the waterfall got me. They never got a blog shout out as far as I remember, so here they are! I can't wait to get back to sculpting again!

Niamh, like Mabon, is another wetland faery. Niamh is a bright faery of the edge of the wetlands where the trees meet the water and reeds. Her best friends are the dragonflies and damselflies that taught her how to fly when she was young. Sculptural-wise, she is in my top 3 favorite creations (Finn and Truffles of "When Pigs Fly" come in #1 in case you're wondering. That was such a tough but rewarding armature!) Niamh's armature is only held up by a thick steel wire in her left leg. Her right foot does not touch the clay oak leaf below her. I wanted to give the impression that she was running across falling leaves while flying her her dragonfly friend. I also tried something new with Niamh - her mouth is very small, so it's hard to see, but she actually has teeth!

you may have to enlarge this to see her 2 front teeth in her mouth.

The colors of the oak leaf contrast with her wings, giving her a more vibrant appearance.

"Cameron's Cake" was another faery based around a found object. In this case, a cute little cake cloche. The story goes: Cameron spied as I baked this cake. He stealthily watched as I cut a slice. He crept closer as I put the slice on the stand. But before he could take the cake, I snapped on the cloche! He tried for hours to lift the glass. Looks like poor Cameron has fallen asleep trying! The only thing not hand sculpted is the glass stand and cloche. Even the cake and doily underneath is clay.

"Cameron's Cake"

Poor Cameron has fallen asleep.

Good enough to eat. This cake is about the length of the palm of your hand.

Ebony's Prince

Ok, I know we have ... 1, 2... 43 days until Halloween, but a gal getting ready for a pumpkin festival craft fair has to be prepared early. So, with that in mind, I went to work on another faery sculpture to entertain the tiny masses that stalk my work and those who just happen to pass my booth at the festival.

Her name is Ebony and the piece is called "Ebony's Prince". Now, this sculpture has told me a lot about those around me. Almost like a glimpse into a small portion of a person's psyche. For, you see, there is a story in this sculpture. And how you see it can really show your demeanor in that moment of time. Take a look. Ebony is obviously going to kiss the frog prince.... What story do you see behind it?

The bubbles are glass!

If you said "Well she's kissing him as he comes out of the cauldron" or "she wants to turn him into a human/faery prince", then you're probably a perfectly balanced individual and I envy you that in those moments when customers stare at me a little too long. (Am I the only one that happens to?) That sort of thinking makes it a cute, faerytale, picture book sort of sculpture, doesn't it? Only one other person saw what I saw after I finished making it. "She's kissing the frog goodbye?" they suggested. Wow! Dark and twisted mind I think! But, I'm abashed to say, I thought that too when all was said and done. It wasn't my starting intention, I assure you. So maybe I'm not all bad. lol

Ebony's wings are made from twisting antique brass colored copper wire into a bat wing shape. I made a candy corn of polymer clay and tiny skulls out of ceramic to adorn the back of her belt line instead of a bow.

Her nails are black with orange polkadots. The lace on her left sleeve is vintage lace off a really old valentines day chocolate box.

Adelaide and the Fireflies

Adelaide in the firefly jar.

For months, a large mason jar sat collecting dust on my "ideas to bring to life" shelf at the mill. Yes. I do have a shelf with such a name. Anyone at the mill can tell you, it's full of a rather eclectic, albeit plain, collection of items. Most seem rather boring alone - like the jar - but put them with a faery and there's a story for each item.

Adelaide

Meet Adelaide. I've always loved that name and found out it's a name of a woman swinging high up the older branches of my family tree. I'd like to imagine that woman would love this faery (more likely: my ancestors gossip about me like those griping cartoon ancestors of Disney's Mulan).

Adelaide the faery is a little miffed, if you can't tell from her expression. Picture it - you're a faery (oh go on, imagine it... no one's watching... and honestly, everyone suspects you fantasize you're a faery now and then anyway so just roll with it). The cool night air mingles with the warmth of the remains of the first day of summer. Fireflies zip around you silently. You flash your wings, lure them in and SWOOSH! You caught a few! No.. wait... that was a loud swoosh. Faeries make tiny swoosh sound effects. You look around. You see fireflies... and glass. You've been caught by a firefly catching human!

Adelaide's Wings. ^_^ It's hard to tell but there are 4 of them. She had to have small dragonfly wings so that she would fit into the jar.

The green "fireflies" are actually LED lights. There's a battery pack on top of the lid so they'll never wear out. Adelaide herself is hand sculpted. You know me - I never use molds. Unlike my miniatures in bottles, Adelaide was sculpted outside the jar. I made an aluminum foil circle the size of the jar opening, and when I sculpted her, I did so on top of that circle so I knew she'd fit. She's mounted on a clay base that I covered with cloth, silk leaves and the occasional late spring silk flower.

If I can't grow flowers, I'll make 'em! (Or make faeries for them)

I like little ole Milford and the apartment my father and I have lived in for the past 11 years. However, living in a second story flat has its downside.... no garden!! Granted, my balcony looks like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon every summer thanks to my ambitious green thumb, but for years I've dreamed of having my own, real, in the earth garden. I even doodled sketches last year in hopes that I might secure a little plot somewhere. If Milford has a community garden, it's well hidden. I finally put two and two together today when I was drawn yet again to silk flowers in the craft store.

For those who know my work, you know I'm creating an OOAK fantasy flower line ('ooak flower spirit' to be precise). This came about when I fell in love with some awesome blue tiger lilies at Michaels Crafts floral department. With a tag saying 50% off the hefty priced flowers, I bought myself a new inspiration! You may recognize this little gem of a sculpture from my Etsy shop (listing here) or one of the dozen treasuries she's been in. (Thank you etsy curators! You all rock!)

I loved making her and just had to keep going. With another idea planted in my head, I created this next lovely; a fantasy style orchid. I improved a little I think. The only parts of her that are not polymer are her leaves and the terracotta pot she graces. She found a perfect home. :3

I have so many ideas for flowers now that my imagination is like a stuffy greenhouse. Everything from elegant and intricate to comical and cartoonish all stuffed in that little nut I call my mind. Check out my Dandelion ... get it? Dandy-Lion? Ok, so it looks a little more like a puppy in a lion's mane. I plan to keep the idea but rework the face.

Then I drifted back to that darned floral department. I just finished my Captive Mermaid and wanted to get back to practicing my faeries. But another flower! And there's still snow on the ground! Another flower wouldn't be a bad thing, I convinced myself, much influenced by the new 60% off sale (those sales kill me!). I bought a big lavender colored bloom. I'm not sure if it's fashioned after a real flower. It sat in the studio with me for a while and I was torn between using it to create a new flower or making a baby to sleep in it. Well... here's the winning idea. This adorable baby is a lot like my adult faeries - all hand sculpted without the use of molds. The wings are hand made too.

And of course, the big flower was just too soft and inviting not to have a faery baby snuggling on it!

Ash's Treasure - #1 from my OOAK Faery Collection

"Ash's Treasure"

#1 of The Silver Branch's "OOAK Faery Collection"

Created in January 2011
Not For Sale

Ok, I've seen far better. That self-depreciation out of the way early on, I will go on to say that while not nearly perfect, Ash is my first figure since I started claying again, and I'm rather fond of him. Sitting height: about 4 inches tall.

EVERYTHING was a learning experience! I learned a lot through Ash. First off, it should be noted that I'm not a fan of molds - so no molds here - all the clay is hand sculpted. I created him at the Riverview Mill, a place where free internet access is nothing more than a beautiful dream unless you sit in the parking lot, so I had no tutorials or images to help guide my figure forming. But aside that, the wings, the clothes, the hair - all a learning experience from scratch.

What everyone seems to like about him the most is his wings... probably the easiest part  to make in all honesty. Ah well. I have to admit, when I saw the amazing creations of my fellow artists in cyberspace, I was dazzled and enchanted by their wings too. It's one of those magics, that once you know what they are and how to make them, they significantly lose their luster. I won't jade you here - you want to know more about them? Shoot me an email. But, trust me, it's best to live with magic than without it. I will say that they are made with open flame - how can you not have fun with that? I make faery wing earrings too - check my etsy shop if you're curious.

His clothing taught me something else - ribbons are probably easier to work with instead of full swaths of fabric, and that I am easily frustrated when creating tiny clothes. How do all you art doll, barbie, miniature and figurine seamsters do it?! I loathe the idea of smearing glue all over the figure and sticking cloth to it. Ash's clothing is all painfully and clumsily hand stitched. His pants were the worst to make because of the way I positioned him. Heather from "My Sister's Closet" was a huge help and I eventually managed to create something presentable after a few hours - a few hours! Yikes! Anyone know any good doll clothing makers I could team up with? lol

Oh where, oh where is my hair?

His hair, while rather a fright in the end, was the product of impatience. I should have tried putting hair on a practice head first, but Ash was sitting finished and waiting for his hair for over 2 weeks. I just had to cover him up. I tried llama fiber on a practice head weeks before. It was a mercy that I did too because it didn't work. I needed llama wool straight from the fleece. I needed Tibetan Llama wool. It's tiny ringlets and fibers feels so real to how I imagined a tiny person's hair to feel, that it's well worth the wait for it to ship in from New Zealand. I order from Dollworld. So friendly and fast despite the distance. For some reason, that lovely country of LOTR was the only place selling TIBETAN llama wool. O.o Funny world, ain't it? Well, it's so fine that the special glue I use to attach the layers of hair to his scalp has a habit of leaking through the layers. Hence the girly headband. Now I had pipettes and precision syringes, so I'm hoping that is a flaw of the past.

But there you have it. Ash! And his treasures? That's an old bracelet I beaded for myself (to match one I made for my lovely friend Libby) and is now safely under Ash's guard. I also made for him a tiny leather pouch hanging from his belt. The pouch is adorned with a brass bell and a tiny head feather from my father's parakeet, Fleur. Inside? 4 raw garnets I mined from Wilton, NH. :)

How I started making Faeries

"Ash" - What a learning experience he was!

My focus at present seems to be on practicing polymer clay faeries. Yeah, I do spell 'fairy' in that geeky 'epic, fantasy' like way. Truth be told, this was the old english spelling and dates from texts at least as far back as the 16th century, so it's not as new age as many make it out to be.

Now where'd I get this desire? I do love my 'green girl' faces and faery doors and haven't abandoned them, I promise. But I've always had 'a thing' for faeries. It was about 2 years ago that I took a little ball of clay and tried to follow an online tutorial on how to shape it into a baby's face. I still have that rather scary baby. As you can see from the picture of it below, I was inspired from that point on to give polymer clay a long vacation: no pay and no guarantee that there will be work for it again once it returns.

About 6 months ago (maybe less) I picked up a pack of Sculpy again... mostly out of boredom I think. I was battling the worst kind of writers block. It was the kind where you have an amazing plot, and even characters to boot, but no idea where to start the whole darn thing! I needed some sort of release. I made a dragon. Note about Sculpy III - it breaks at the very thought of tapping it. Brittle, powdery bits of a young dragon all over my car! Well, I moved onto Super Sculpy. I made faces with leaves around them and painted them to look like antiqued copper and sunlight speckled forest canopies. My 'Green Girls' (so called because they look like the Green Man, but I always saw them as too feminine) I flatter myself that I grew better at making faces. Still, I remembered my little baby faery and put full figures on the back burner. I made faery doors, started a flower nymph collection (working on flower #3! Wooo!), gnomes, jewelry. Finally, I decided to try it out. I took some wire and created an armature.

Watch out for my upcoming blog post all about my first somewhat decent OOAK (one of a kind) polymer faery - Ash.