WEEK 1: Woodland Chic Design Explorations – March 1

Featured Artist: Simone Marie Ursula Patout Palmer
Title: La Grande Dame
Fun Fact: I owned a horse for a week and sent him back after he bit me.
Website address: I am a graphic artist without a www – what?
What social media are  you on? facebook

Material of Choice: Pmc3 Silver (when not too pricey) & BronzClay

Favorite Quotes:
They are able because they think they are able. ~ Vergil
Life’s tough……it’s even tougher if you’re stupid. ~ John Wayne
Hot technique: I like to use large, old metal typesetting pieces to roll snakes on – gives them a great texture. Can’t find old metal type? Get discarded pieces from a trophy shop that have raised lettering! Also a great source for metal textures and acrylic surfaces!
Hot tip: I find that all of the lights I use at my desk and studio tend to dry out my clays – so, I use a humidifier while I work (but, be sure to change out your water often!)
Favorite Tool: Scratch Foam Sheets, ball burnishers and the almighty tooth pick!

WEEK 1: Woodland Chic Design Explorations –
Materials :  Fast Fire Bronze; Magic Glos (for eggs); waxed linen thread; cotton paper pages

   
Title of the piece: I would Fly
Size: Its about 2.75″W X 4″ T X 1″ D
Materials :  Fast Fire Bronze; Magic Glos (for eggs); waxed linen thread; cotton paper pages
Techniques used to create the piece:
• Made reverse molds from PK’s stamp sheet
• Cut parts from wet clay using paper template
• Dry Construction
• Used Hadar’s 2-Phase firing method; 3 separate firings
• Both front and back pieces cracked – believe it was due to the center cut outs and weight/thicker pieces placed primarily in center (?)
• Pulled some of my hair out
• Created inside pages in Photoshop using scans of my own drawings; my husband Terry’s drawings; drawings and photos done by my son, Evan; and photos
done by my friend, Carol Miller Richard of trees in the Atchafalaya Basin
• The pages were printed and trimmed to size and then put into (5) 4 pg choirs that were “bound” into spine using waxed linen thread.
• Supported the “cracked” front and back pieces with matt board cut to fit and glued into place on the inside
• Pulled more of my hair out
• “Stamped” images and drew onto the front and back inside covers along with some of the inside pages
• Used Magic Glos on front and back in the “egg” areas with white paint and pastel dust.
•  Blackened in areas with black acrylic paint (hoping that this would make the cracks look more “natural” and planned!) and then finished with Renaissance
wax/paste
• Used copper wire, balled on one end to secure hinges (couldn’t ball up the bottom ends – nearly caught the book on fire trying!!! You will note the singed edges?)
• Frazelled my last nerve
• Finished by tying a leaf (made from a coil of FF Bronze clay pressed into the “Woodland Chic” title font on bottom of stamp sheet) to close the book.
• Went out and bought a wig