Newest mess with cement

I ran out of summer last year before I got  to making cement mushrooms.  And now I have made such a mess and with all events of summer upon me, I am hoping to get it cleaned up before fall hits.


I did lots of reading about different recipes but finally decided on a couple of ideas.  When you add other ingredients to the mix, it lightens the mix but makes it rougher.  So, I decided on an addition of Vermiculite and playground sand.  And Portland Cement.


I assembled my materials and molds....odd bowls and light covers.  Oh, and sticks of various lengths.
I drilled a hold in the end of each and inserted 10 cent long nails into them and pounded them in.


(these will be the part that sticks into the ground)..

 Mix up the 3 parts of stuff.  I did a cup of verm...and a cup of sand and then 2 cups of quickrete...and added enough water to make mud.  Pudding mud.    This is not rocket
science... ALSO very important...spray the bowls, molds etc with PAM...that's right.  Spray oil...makes them come right out of the mold.  SOOOO Cool.

Then I waited a couple of days and unmolded them!!  FUN PART!!

Then I had to wait a bit to get to paint them.  Polka dots and etc...such fun!!

What does the fox say?

Ever once in awhile, the doll bug grabs me and I just have to make little handpainted faces and gather and glue hair and then cut up sweaters and look for the perfect color of wool felt.  It really makes no sense but does get me through the January gloomies.

I listed them in my Etsy shop and it was pretty quiet, so I ended up giving t hem away.  Felt pretty good.

more produce

still not finished...another painting is waiting in the "Creation room" in my brain.  Ahh, not enouugh time for all of it....
bah.

One more

January studio messes

I have been following a girl on INSTAGRAM and she did the 30 day art challenge.  I was very impressed with all her work.  She painted an oil painting a day and they were all great renditions of apples, and other round fruit.  It stirred me..mostly the envious me.  The competitive me.  The "I think I can do that" me.  And while I don't love oil painting, I do love watercolors but I don't have the life to devote to painting everyday...I am giving January a shot.
I began by assembling my paints and leaving them out so I have to walk by them everyday.  That is hard for me, cuz I like cleaning up after a project, but it is part of my plan.  I am calling this endeavor...If I were an ARTIST!! ( then I would paint more right?)

So far this is what I have finished.

two little mandarin oranges..

 onion trio.....

I am thinking pomegranates next or maybe kiwi....I don't know.  All I know is I keep walking past my palette and
feeling an itch...

more of the same....

I started these houses last year and have loved picking this and that to complete them this year.So much fun!