New fairy listing tomorrow!

I have found out that it isn't easy to keep up with a blog site. When I am not sculpting, I am doing volunteer work, promoting MonaVie, and trying to keep some organization around here.

This past week has been really busy, but I have managed to finish a lovely young teen fairy. I will be listing her tomorrow. She is a woodland fairy, who has found a golden locket lying on the forest floor. I am wondering who will claim it. Actually, it is a new locket that I have hand painted with teeny fall branches and berries. You can remove it from her hand and wear it yourself! Watch for this autumn themed piece sometime tomorrow evening.

A tip for the day...hmmmmm...

Ok, that would be:

use mineral oil with a filbert brush to smooth polymer clay. Polymer clay IS an oil based clay, so water is not an option. Dab your brush in the oil, then blot on a paper towel to remove some of the oil. Lightly brush the clay to remove fingerprints and other blemishes.

Sue Anne

Bubbles & Frank, and Meg have arrived!

I have two new auctions this evening. Bubbles & Frank are two timid sweeties, and Meg is a napping fall fairy. I love sculpting tiny dolls like Meg who is only 2 inches long. It's always a challenge to detail the faces, hands, and feet of teeny dolls. Of course, I always work under a strong light-up magnifying glass and am fortunate to have steady hands. Still, the slightest wrong nudge of the clay can destroy a face as tiny as Meg's.





My tip for new sculptors is this:
If you are interested in sculpting baby apes, make your own flocking. I use English viscose hair and snip it into tiny bits. To apply, use regular glue. You can also use mohair or Tibetian sheep hair, but I find that because it is not as fine and soft as viscose, it will not adhere as well and looks too sparse.

Sue Anne

New sculpts soon!

I have pre-listed, or scheduled, two new sculpts that will show up for auction Thursday evening (Aug.23). Bubbles and Frank are a sweet set of two. Bubbles is a shy baby orangutan and Frank is an antique style teddy bear. I have not sculpted a baby ape for quite a while, but someone requested that I list one and so I did! This one is really cute and very shy. The set comes with two mini pumpkins.

The other doll is a very tiny fairy (2 in.long). Her face is about the size of a dime. I love the challenge of sculpting small while still retaining detail and expression. Meg is her name and she naps on a berry/leaf embellished pumpkin, which I also sculpted.

Tomorrow, after lunching with friends, I will finish up a third sculpt, which I am really excited about. She is an extremely tiny fairy who sleeps in a pretty silver gravy ladle!

Please watch for these new ones!

Sue Anne

Sienna!

Finally, I have listed an new doll on Ebay! Her name is "Sienna" and she comes with three tiny pumpkins.

While I was in Ohio, the tree frogs and other night singing creatures seemed to beckon the onset of fall and all of the cozy warm things that accompany it. I really do miss Ohio falls. I miss walking through colorful leaves, the smell of real wood burning in fireplaces, the brisk air for a football game, and the feeling that fall is a new beginning.

So, here I am back in Southern California, where fall is nothing more than a few dried leaves and Santa Anna winds ( I am not complaining). Yet, I felt the desire to create something something fall-ish. So, Sienna was born, striped brown stockings and all!



I have been thinking about what tip I would like to offer new sculptors this evening. I have decided that a most important tool is a good anatomical or proportion scale. In order for a sculpt to look realistic, the body, limbs, and head must be proportionate. A child or baby's proportions differ from an adult's. For instance a newborn cannot touch his or her hands over the head whereas an adult can.
Check out these sites for proportion charts:

http://www.miniworlddolls.com/Goodstuff/proportion.htm

http://www.elvenwork.com/workbook.html

These are well worth the investment!

Sue Anne

Home from Ohio....and a tip!

My trip to Ohio was so much fun! The two weeks went way too quickly, but I am excited to get back to my clay and am currently working on a fairy child. Hopefully, I can list her within the next couple of days.

While I was back east, I found some wonderful European handmade antique lace and vintage embellishments that I hope to incorporate in some of my work. I haven't sculpted an antique style doll for a while, so you may see one soon!

I would like to share my first tip for new artists:
When painting hand sculpted eyes, place the pupil just under the upper lid. If it is placed in the center of the iris, your doll will, most likely, have shocked look on her face. I plan to post an eye tutorial in the near future.

Sue Anne

Froudian Artist Of The Month for August!

I am so honored to be Froudian Artist for August 2007! Now, I will be able to use the Froudian award banner on my auctions and website!

Sue Anne