Really it's not my fault this maraca with vines has a phallic look to it. What do you think, does it? I didn't intend it that way. I was trying to make another maraca or ceramic rattle with a more elongated shape rather than the two round ones I made in the previous post. The green is kind of an apple green color which I like. This one doesn't stand up because I made the bottom (which is the top) more rounded.
This took me three hours to make. I know because Gary went to the homeowners meeting at 6:30 pm and I stayed home and finished at 9:30 pm. First I pinched out the round portion and set it aside. Then I pinched the handle and set it aside. Then I made the little clay balls for the inside. Then I wrapped each pea sized clay ball in a paper towel and tried to hasten their drying time. Then I placed the balls inside and attached the handle to the bowl. Then I painted three coats of light green slip on the whole piece. After the slip dried I painted the vines and leaves in an olive green slip. After the stems and leaves dried I scratched through to make the veins in the vine and leaves.
Then Gary came home and came in the studio to see what I was making. He said I really like the light green color, but you know you need two. Two? He said yes, maracas are played in pairs. I did have fun making it and it was very satisfying scratching through to the clay body and seeing the vines and leaves take on more definition. Perhaps the cardinal on the clothesline, photo taken through my studio window, will spur me on to make another maraca just like this one tomorrow. Thanks for reading and for your encouragement.
The maracas look a great idea. Funny how time consuming such things are to make... I tried making clay whistles at one time, and the hours just disappeared! I was thinking how nice the maracas on your previous post would look wood fired, with just the smoke and flame to toast them. The cardinal looks beautiful, such a great colour!
ReplyDeleteHi Peter, thanks, I was just thinking of you the other day and wondering if I could build a small wood fired kiln in our back yard. We have the room and the wood is plentiful here, folks give wood away here. I'm also planning on building a raised pit with cinder block which we obtained for free. Probably build the pit first and then think abou the wood fired kiln.
ReplyDeletePhallic or not, I like the soft green color. Yes, like legs, they work better in pairs.
ReplyDeleteshake you maraca....single
ReplyDeleteShake your maracas--- yep two is better.
Hi Teresa, thanks, well I made another one today and amazingly without even looking at the other one it looks almost the same, so I lucked out.
ReplyDeleteHi Meredith, thanks, well I hope they look better when they are fired, just finished the second one.