While Gary was selling at the flea market yesterday I made this crow shrine. These shrines take quite a bit of time to put together, drying and then brushed with stains and slips. It took me about five hours to make this one, cutting out the shrine, then the crow and branches, letting them firm up, slip or stain painting them, assembling them and doing the touch up staining and slip painting. I see the left hand side of the roof extension is longer than the right hand side, not enough to be a saltbox. I measured and divided it in half, how did that happen. Oh well, that's part of the whimsy of the piece which is about 13 inches tall and 9 inches wide including the roof or 7 inches wide without the roof. It's about three inches deep which would be enough to place a votive candle.
The crow and most of the branches are sprigs added on top of the multi-colored blue background. I can't wait to fire some of these to see how the blended colors turn out. Some of the branches are slip painted extensions of the sprigs and climb up the sides like branches in the shrines I made recently. Can you tell he's just landing in the tree? I like the contrast of the black crow against the blue background; he looks like he's thinking of something important. He could have been a bit more animated. My old crow salesman samples are the inspiration for this piece. Click on the link to see the resemblance. These shrines lend themselves to birds, well to all sorts of things and are so satisfying to make. This post will be a part of the Mud Colony weekly what's up in the studio. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.
This is great, love the contrast with the blue background.
ReplyDeleteThese are fab Linda!
ReplyDeleteWell done. Thank you for stopping by while I was out puny. It always feels good to be remembered.
ReplyDeleteSomething to crow about. Like the way your shrines are continually evolving.
ReplyDeleteI love how you bring nature into many of your pieces!
ReplyDeletevery nice Linda! i am curious about your process, do you work on a few of these at one time or do you complete one at a time?
ReplyDeleteI love this piece! Well done.
ReplyDeleteHi Anna, thanks, I do love birds especially ravens and crows and thought they'd look good in one of these shrines.
ReplyDeleteHi Meredith, thanks, you know how I am I go off on tangents and can't stop myself. Ha.
Hi Patti, thanks, so glad you are doing well enough to comment, I worry about you.
Hi Suzi, thanks, we have a lot of crows around here and believe you me, they crow a lot. Ha.
Hi Kathy, thanks, I just can't get away from nature I've always been so closely aligned to the natural world.
ReplyDeleteHi Michele, thanks, I only work on one of these at a time. I measure and cut out the pieces, then let them harden up a bit, meanwhile I cut out the crow and branches and let them harden, then I slip paint the crow and branches and set them aside to harden but stay soft enough on the reverse side to be able to attach them to the shrine, while they are setting up I slip paint the background sides and roof panels with multiple layers of slip and stains, then I go back and sgraffito the sprigs of crow and branches, then I go back and add more layers to the background and sides and top, then I attach the crow and branches to the background, then I attach the top and sides of the shrine, then I slip paint the bottom of shrine and attach it. Next I slip paint the outside. Then I loosen it a bit from the wallboard so it doesn't stick firm, then I put it in the cabinet and let it dry a bit and when it's firm enough I transfer it to a fresh piece of wallboard for several days and so on. Geez do I do all that, what a process - hopefully someone will discover me and pay me a worthwhile amount to have one in their home and allow me to make more.
Hi Ronna, thanks, I am enjoying making these and hope they would be wonderful for someone to have as a reminder of the outdoors on long winter nights or days or for folks living in cities.
That is a well done, handsome crow!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely piece!
ReplyDeleteThis is really great, Linda! I love your blues. So lovely. The moon is wonderful as well.
ReplyDeleteHi Barbara, thanks, I like crows. Ha.
ReplyDeleteHi Lori, thanks so much.
Hi Sapphire, thanks, I hope the blues look just as nice after firing.
Crows, and trees, and the moon. Love this piece. I look forward to seeing it post firing.
ReplyDeleteThat's great!
ReplyDeleteHi Teresa, thanks, yes I can't wait to fire, but these need a long time to dry.
ReplyDeleteHi Patricia, thanks, we have lots of crows around here crowing all the time, wish there were more other birds, perhaps they drive them away.