Visiting the Mystery House

I have wanted to visit the Winchester Mystery House since I first read about it as a kid.  The idea of a house so expansive and rambling as the Mystery House held great appeal to me.  This house was built by workmen hired by Sarah Winchester, heir to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, to work around the clock for nearly 40 years.  The house boasts doors to nowhere, stairways that lead right to the ceiling, windows in the floor, and a winding 7 flight, 44 step staircase that takes you a total of 10 vertical feet to the next level.  Mrs. Winchester seemed to think that she would be safe from the spirits of those killed by the Winchester rifle if she kept building onto her house.  It is a marvel to behold and an amazing feat of architecture for someone who never studied the discipline, nor drew up a single blueprint.

 

Lynne Ann in San Jose

Many of you know that in addition to sculpting, my main job is as assistant to Lynne Ann Schwarzenberg.  She is going to be teaching an amazing class in San Jose on April 5 and 6.  This class will be a hybrid class where the students will not only learn her floral caning (making 3 different flowers) but will also learn her wood grain and pendant construction techniques.  If you would like to join us in San Jose email us at riverpoet@comcast.net or visit the South Bay Polymer Clay Guild at www.sbpcg.com and they can get you signed up. 

Tommie

Keeping a Cool Head

I finished a piece that is going to a friend pretty much immediately.  It was inspired by a pair of little glass cubes that she gave me that really look a lot like ice cubes.  I figured if they looked like ice cubes full size, they would look just like ice blocks in miniature.  I really agonized over just what to put on the ice block and I was watching the news and someone said something about keeping a cool head. I thought, ‘Hell, everyone needs to keep a cool head around for those times when they lose their own.’

Anyway, Keeping a Cool Head is made from a combination of Super Sculpey and Kato Polyclay. The hair is separated yarn and the blood is a super-secret proprietary mix of many volatile and highly toxic compounds that should only be handled by professionals.  (crimson paint, liquid sculpey, and diluent) But, by God, I won’t reveal the proportions! (just mix it all up til it is pretty runny)

Hope you all enjoy this creepy little sculpt.

Tommie

The OTHER Polymer Clay: Eldritch Design

Bill Basso is the sculptor and head of operations at Eldritch Design.  As you can see he specializes in macabre busts.  The detail is very impressive in these imaginative busts.  Basso holds a BFA from Parsons School of Design and has worked on films like Jurassic Park and Interview with a Vampire.  Take a look at the pages where he shows his sculpting process. 

The other Polymer Clay

Okay folks… I have decided that with all the buzz about the history and (where we are and and where are we going and why are we in this handbasket) whatever that has been brought about from the Synergy Conference, I would do some education also.  Periodically I am going to present you with information about those from outside the Polymer Clay, Craft, etc. “community” that was mainly represented at Synergy.  I will title each of these entries The OTHER Polymer Clay: Specific Title.  We will look at things like Garage Kits, Model Making, Toy Making, Special Effects, Theatrical Make-up, etc.  With blogs like Polymer Clay Daily, Polymer Clay Notes, and others… There is no need to repeat what they are doing.  There IS a need for education about what others are doing.  So Here goes…

Tommie

We’re not in Kansas anymore…

We just got back from Kansas, where Lynne Ann taught at the Heartland Bead Market in Lenexa.  They have a great group there and a really good classroom space.  I got a chance to visit my aunt and uncle who live in Central Kansas while we were out that way.  It was a very nice time for me.  It was odd to see how my youthful stomping grounds had changed so much over the years.  My Jr. High is now some kind of a church/social service agency.  The little zoo is a shambles of chain-link fence while the little community pool that shares the same park has become some kind of mini waterpark.  Of course many things remain the same… the little gravestones that mark where my mom and dad are buried, they are still the same and still kind of hurt to look at. 

All in all, Kansas remains as it has always been… flyover country to most of the nation, but a place of memory and wonder for those of us who grew up there and have grown up enough to appreciate it.

Tommie

Indigenous

I am calling this piece “Indigenous” because while he is not based on any particular people group… he just kind of developed as a kind of warrior of some kind.  Perhaps from some other world all together, he is ready to meet whatever challenges the times may bring.

He is constructed of Kato Polyclay, Super Sculpey, Sculpey Ultralight, and Promat.  His face was created from the inside out.  It started with a skull and then was built up from there.  He wears a ‘buckskin’ outfit with ’stitching.’ His hair is made up of many many twisted ropes of clay.  He is on a base that is representative of rocky outcroppings one might see in a desert.

Political caricature.

This is the first real intentional caricature I have done.  I have done little cartoon type stuff but mainly from people in my head.  I thought with the political season being so much on the collective mind in the United States…  I would do a farewell to the era piece.

Here is Little W.  He is constructed of mainly Kato Polyclay, Super Sculpey, and Promat.  He has an internal skeleton of aluminum foil, brass rods, and wrapped floral tape.  Theme-wise, he is squinting because he is still looking for the WMDs.  He holds in one hand his guide to his job.  In the other hand he holds the new Redactable Sharpie. This was very handy in taking care of that pesky constitution laying at his feet.  He is standing on a faux wood floor in the shape of the Great Republic of Texas!

Tommie

New stuff finally

Well folks it has been a while, but I hope to be more on the ball in the future.  Sometimes things get very busy and there are so many things taking up ones time.  Anyway… the next two posts are my most recent finished pieces.  The first is a small bit of political humor (small may be the operative word). The second piece was finished just last night and well… I will tell the story of that one in the post.  Look for the posts soon.

Just a quick couple of thanks and answers

Thanks everyone for the kind comments on the Buddha.  I have never been big on “Hey look at me!!!” kind of stuff… but it is nice to have a bit of recognition for something I created.  The bottle I used is something around 3 3/4 inches tall the sculpt is just under double that.  The cap to the bottle is actually the Buddha’s head.  Thanks again for the compliments.  I hope to have a full website up soon, til then keep checking in here for stuff.

Tommie