Friday, October 27, 2006

Dancing Dogs


All right, things didn’t quite work out as I first thought. That’s the nature of experimentation. Zebra torso and head are to be the knob atop the lid of a rounded box with columns and....
OK, the box was wrong, the lid was wrong, and I didn’t do a good job fluting the columns. BUT, I saw how I could get it together, so that stuff went onto the scrap pile, and Friday we start again with new columns, lid, body. The zebra, however, was like walking into the jungle without a map---how do you make a zebra, anyway, if you never have, and you’re too lazy to look at a picture? Well, I have made horses before, simple ones, so I was making something a bit bigger than that, more detailed, and ultimately, white and black. I spent a large part of Thursday afternoon fiddling around, and dang if it wasn’t successful. I checked my encyclopedia picture after it was done, to look at stripe patterns, which doesn’t mean I would follow them, and realized the little guy needed a mane, which he got. He also got a toothy mouth. I had intended this to be a serious piece (HA HA HA HAR!) I did, really, but I seem physically incapable of doing anything but the funny or the cute. Some potters and sculptors have a hard time taking my pieces seriously because of that, but hey, the heck with them if they can’t take a joke. Next to the little zebra is the jar from the previous day, with an upside down dancing dog on top JUST BECAUSE.

7 comments:

Lucia said...

I love the zebra and the dog. I actually laughed out loud when I looked at these charming little critters! Very nice.

Kirksville. There is a school of osteopathic medicine and a university. As if my life isn't complicated enough with travel, my hubby is a prof at the U there. We commute. Except in the summers. And when we travel together (sometimes). And he's on sabatical this year, so he's here. Yea! (Except for right now...he's in Amherst.)

Anonymous said...

They are supposed to make you laugh! I sit around by myself making these things and chuckling...

My nephew's girlfriend Jennie L. is a student at the medical school there, thought that rang a bell. I also wondered who took care of the little corgi when you were overseas. You lead an interesting life, L......

Lucia said...

That's great that you're chuckling when you make 'em. Talk about great jobs!

I've got a great dog sitter who loves the little guy and always welcomes him in.

Anonymous said...

that zebra gave me a smile. i especially like the eyes. although his nostrils made me think of a dragon. don't know why.

with your talent as a potter and photographer, combined with your sense of humor, you'd be a natural at claymation a la "wallace & gromit"

Anonymous said...

well, big D, you know I love Wallace and Gromit and want to do a special on them, in my inspiration series. I know about the zebra: I was very disturbed as I made it, because although I have never made a dragon before, that zebra was looking like a dragon, but then it came together and was a zebra. And will be more so with the colors.

Anonymous said...

I like the zebra, too. Is he supposed to look like Marty from Madagascar or does Marty just look like a generic silly zebra? ;-)

Anonymous said...

you know, I heard that was a funny movie, but gordo, i was just winging it here, as I usually do.