Monday, February 1, 2016

New Work - February 2016

February already? My, my. . .

Well, January went pretty much to plan. More time spent on new items and ideas and less worrying about "best sellers" and custom work. That feels reallllllly good!

So, here are a few new pieces for you to see today. Some are already listed and some await their stories before listing. GOTTA have stories!!!

First, the Little Caravan I showed in it's initial stages a few weeks ago. All done and ready for listing: "Theia Straedoors Tart Cart"!

How does Theia make all those delicious tarts in such a small space? Fairy magic of course!


Loving the poofy moss and the tiny tart table piled with Joonberry tarts!!
Next is another new idea and new way or working with creating small figures.

I have been trying to develop a style of animal figurines that will allow me to use colored polymer as opposed to painting with acrylics.

Now, in my world, this presents itself as an issue for several reasons.

One, I am not in any way shape of form, neat enough to keep colored polymer clay pristine as I work with it. There are always mossy bits and flowery bits about the table no matter how hard I try to keep it clean. This leads to having to rework soft faces, hands etc and, in the end, ruining them before I can complete them.  With the fox figure below, I took a completely different approach. Making the face from flesh toned super sculpey and then, after baking, layering the thinnest layers of colored clay over top of that already baked, flash-toned face.  It went better than I could anticipate.

For a first try, I think it worked amazingly well! I was able to blend, texture and work around the face without worrying abut smashing the face's form as I often seem to do trying to get the perfect details. I used the same technique with the body/clothing too. Making a flesh toned body-form and then layering the clothing on top of it. Only the feet and hands were made in colored clay without a base clay beneathe them.

For a first go with this new technique, I think Brother Severon is a wonderful lil' fellow!

His white birch staff and lantern are also polymer clay, but they are painted.
And then, a few random pieces. . .

A Lunar Hare. . . just because. :)


A little gold crescent on her back. . . she still requires a short story before listing!
 A little Tudor Style, timbered inn. Usually I make the timbers from thin strips of polymer applied at the time i make the building and paint them but, for this new "Enchanted Woods Inn", I wanted to make the timbers from scale lumber so they would be perfect and consistent. Very tedious but worth the results!


"The Enchanted Woods" Tudor style Inn.
And a completed group of 5 Fairy Shoppes/Inn/Crooked Tower upon Stars for one of our dear, regular customers!
Anyhoo, that's a look at some of what has been coming out of the studio these days. February promises a whole other bevy of new items and ideas so I hope you'll check back over the month and visit with me in my little world. . .

Have a lovely February wherever you may be. . .

nicolas

5 comments:

  1. Nicolas, I am in awwww! Every piece is breath taking! I love them all!

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    1. Thank you so much Stacy! It is soooooo helpful to show new work, as you know. :) You were a definite inspiration for me to follow! :)

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  2. I am amazed at the tart cart's transformation! So much tiny detail. And the fox is beyond charming.
    I saw a fox by the road a few days ago, and they seem to be popping up all sorts of places lately for me, everywhere i look... Books, blogs, etc. can't wait to read brother Severon's story!

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    1. A REAL fox!? How magical!!!! Are you drawing foxes at all? : ) Brother Severon has a tale to tell alright. . . I'll need to abbreviate it for the listing but maybe I will send you the long form version. : ) Thank you SO much for coming by!

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    2. Yes, a real fox! I see probably 3 a year by the roadside. This year has been so mild it looked well fed and healthy.

      And of course i would love to read any version you have!

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