Showing posts with label Russ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Russ. Show all posts

Friday, July 31, 2009

Coffee with Russ and bronze metal clay

It was quiet yesterday around these parts. I was busy working most of the day in the studio. When it's quiet, I start to think and realized I hadn't had a conversation with Russ lately and I hadn't updated you on the money pit...errr...house.

This morning, I made a cup of coffee and Russ and I went out onto the back patio just outside my studio to check out the new grass.

Ok, so watching grass grow isn't very exciting but after the mud and sink holes, I DO find it exciting.

I know, I need to get a life!

So, with all that excitement, what's a girl and Russ to do? Get back into the studio and be creative!

Yesterday, I worked with the bronze metal clay while Russ watched, cheering me on in his laid-back-ponytail-way.



So, I've finished off the coffee, time to get back to the bronze metal pieces. What are you up to in your studio? Have you seen Russ lately?

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Murrini, Russ and Backyard Mud

I've finally made a decent murrini, Folks! I've tried before but most of them came out mushy. At Flame of Mind, I finally made a half way decent one and consider this one my first real murrini:


Not bad for a rookie, huh? Russ seems to approve. (Who is Russ? Check out the Rings n Things blog)



Not satisfied, I wanted to build a complex murrini. Beau built a "on the fly" warming plate out of fire brick and a kiln shelf and away I went. I cut four of the above murrini and created a core. I melted the four pieces into the core and pulled:



The side murrini melted in and became oblong. I didn't have enough of the first murrini to go all the way around the core - I was going for technique. Not too bad for my very first complex murrini.

Russ hasn't weighed in on the complex murrini yet but I haven't heard any complaints!

We've had our backyard dug up for about a month. We spent $10K having a new septic system put in. It's done just in time for The Teen's end of the year pool party. This is the state of our backyard right now:




Potential mud just waiting to happen. Put a few teens in the pool splashing and throwing each other into the pool and you've got mud.

But we've got a hose. They can have mud and then it's the waterhose to clean them off.

I think Russ would approve, don't you?