Goblins tell horrible time.

"The Goblin King's Pocket Watch" sculpted September 2013. Yes. I've been obsessed with Labyrinth since I was 5. Pretty sure it colored my whole life.....

Goblins tell horrible time - at least that is the excuse I'm using for not updating the blog as often as I should. As usual, it's been flat out madness around the studio, and it's only going to get revved up higher as the holiday season starts to rear its unfashionably early head.

"The Mermaid's Cradle" Sculpted August 2013

 Normally, I would have a couple of new faeries to share by now, but it's been the year of custom orders for The Silver Branch, and very little time for the work I dream up on my own. I think I'm going to start changing that and making my own dreams a priority once again - cutting back custom orders to a quota per month. Since Branwen, I have really only made one larger sculpture to submit for your entertainment - this new mermaid, The Mermaid's Cradle

 

Checking on the baby... being part fish, I think mermaid babies should be called fry?

So tiny and cute.

The mermaid mother's tail is inspired by the black and white plecostomus.

(Sorry for the random formatting - sometimes I just can't get blogger to put the photos where I want them because of my page format.) So! I still have  - I think, so far - six more shows before the New Year. I'm hoping to have a special "Steampunk Faery" ready in time for the Milford Great Pumpkin Festival in October. I'll be sure to share her here when I do. In the meanwhile, I am trying to get a gaggle of pocket goblins, pumpkin gnomes and sgnome-men, and grumpy faced mushrooms ready for next weekend when I will be at the Canterbury Shaker Artisan Festival. And then there's Grotonfest the weekend after.... oh dear.... *runs away to sculpt some more*

wedding gnomes - this is just a few out of  177 to be exact

okay - not a sculpture. But this is a frequent visitor to my studio gardens and worth sharing with my friends - it's a Hummingbird MOTH. How cool and twisted and fae is that?!

Hummingbirds, Blueberries and Faery Gardens

"Alula the Hummingbird Rider" Alula sits at just over one tiny inch tall

Aside the wings and chain, it's 100% clay

I've been so busy with the studio, teaching classes and getting ready for my first show of 2013 (The New Hampshire Renaissance Faire, May 11th, 12th, 18th & 19th in Kingston NH - be there!) that I came back to a new blogger format. Serves me right for being MIA. Anyway! That annoying chest pain problem is steadily declining and I've been all out busy sculpting to get all these faeries, mermaids, dragons, gnomes and goblins out of my head (it's growing loud in here) and to get stocked up for the faire.

"Alethea the Blueberry Faery" - 52 hand sculpted and powder dusted blueberries! Trust me... 52.

One of the most exciting aspects of my studio is the potential for the garden I've always wanted to plant! I've been eying sun loving herbs and flowers I could never before plant on the balcony of my east facing apartment. Bliss! But I can't do any of this until after the faire, so I've been daydreaming with little indoor gardens.
Check out my teacup garden, containing a weeping fig, baby's tears, and of course I had to add a couple of my sculptures. :)

All planted in a 10" round teacup planter. :D

Thaddeus - quiet and a great gardener.

I love sculpting goblins. They're pretty nasty in Faery, I'm told, but goblins in The Silver Branch studio tend to be quite endearing little tykes. To the left you see Thaddeus, my resident garden goblin. He waters the baby's tears when I'm not there at night. Why do I love sculpting goblins in particular? Unlike faeries and mermaids, dragons and gnomes, there really isn't even a remotely wrong way to make a goblin. One could argue there's not wrong way to make a faery, but you try telling people that 3 eyed moss creature you made in 4th grade is a faery and watch their eyes. Whereas, you can sculpt anything and it'll work for a goblin.

10 More days to go!

So True.

It's only 10 more days until The Silver Branch studio/shop grand opening! November 3rd and 4th at the Riverview Artist Mill, 29 Howard Street in scenic little Wilton NH. 9-5:30 on Saturday and 10-4 Sunday. What will one find there, you ask? Well, my helper elves and I with a tray of mini cupcakes and a never ending carafe of awesome tea at the very least. T.S.B's original Naturally Shed Faery Wing© Jewelry will be 15% off for the weekend, and all faeries, mermaids and larger sculptures (gnome chess sets, larger dragons, large mushrooms, etc) will be 20% off.

I need more room for new sculptures! You will also get a chance to clay around with a quick polymer clay project at the studio! The Fan Board Contest is already receiving submissions and there will be 3 hand sculpted prizes! (Winners are determined by an impartial jury on Sunday evening. Since I know most of my customers, I'm sadly not a judge. Winners will be contacted by telephone or email.)

"Golden Opportunity" To the gnomes, all is safe - the dragon is sleeping...

....or not.

New sculptures include the dragon scene you've been glancing over above. "Golden Opportunity" tells the story of two unsuspecting gnomes and one suspecting dragon coming out of her slumber. This sculpture was so fun to do. The only part not sculpted is the actual wooden treasure chest and a few glass jewels for effect. The gold inside, the loot bag, the dragon and The Silver Branch's signature gnomes are all hand sculpted and painted. Each scale on the dragon's back was sculpted into place by hand.

"Mabon"

 You'll also meet Mabon, a faery who looks amazing on any shelf, but even more so on her lily-pad throne in a glass vase (not in picture, obviously).

And my new little shoulder gnomes... I should have a few more by then. I'm accepting their applications for positions on shoulders, hat brims and other perching places right now. (Note; Gnome in picture was reading to Janna - not visa verse. I like my employees to be well read.)

I will also have regular class schedules ready to go for the months of November and December! No more will you need to schedule (unless you want to). The first class is this delightfully non-edible mini orange cake pendant and earring set. Yum!

I have the sunniest studio in the mill! I have to in order to keep the flower faery babies warm in the peonies.

  So if you're in the area, do come. It's also "NH Open Doors" weekend and many other artists in the mills will be open to display and probably demonstrate their artistry. You will find silver and metal smithing, jewelry, pottery, miniatures, paintings, photography and more this weekend!

I'm often asked by customers about my birds. Some of my great inspiration comes from the various characters in my flock - a mix of rescued budgies, a couple of lovebirds and a heavily spoiled blue crowned conure. In the midst of all this shed faery wing harvesting, sculpting, gnome hiring, dragon taming and grand opening planning I couldn't help but remember it was exactly a week ago we lost a deeply beloved member of our family and wanted to remember him here as a bird who could not be more gnome-like in curiosity and habits than anyone I knew. Cosmo was a lovebird filled with immense character, sense of adventure and a brave spirit right up to the end of his time with us. We will always love you, Cozzie. <3