Now for something a little more civilized...

Tuesday is always a busy day for us. This week involved archery class for Sagan. She really enjoys it. While she and Forest did that, I took the mounds of laundry to the laundrymat for washing. Easy enough, right? Well, my diapers always take twice as long as the rest of my laundry to dry. Sigh. Well, the NICE ones take twice as long to dry… the old school ones take no time at all. The pros and cons of old school/new school.
Next on our agenda was ARTrageous Tuesday with some of the homeschoolers. Praise the goddess of compassion, Kwan Yin, that we travel close enough to the city to even be a part of these things. We went to the Utah Cultural Celebration Center for an all-local artists sculpture show tour & sculpture activity. Ahh… a breath of fresh air and civility. Even though we live in a camper, I still crave the finer things in life. More about that hierarchy of needs… Art comes from a society that has ample time and after meeting survival needs to MAKE art. Although sometimes it shows the human condition and struggles we all face, sometimes art is just… well… beautiful. It triggers emotions, often brings a sense of well-being. I wonder if the have-nots, in their struggles, if they would take more time to create (or view) art, if they would soften a little? I wonder if it would help in the social problems and/or solving them? Would they embrace life in a new way? Would they find appreciation in the beauty all around them, instead of making their ugly world even uglier? I know that poor quilters of old worked their crafts because they needed blankets and often salvaged old clothing and rags for their beautiful creations. They worked their much needed items with love and care and creativity to make an ordinary household item into an extraordinary one. They were rewarded with warmth AND aesthetic beauty. Anyway… on to the tour….

Simple Yet Elegant Elephant:


One of several animal sculptures:


A horseless carriage horse:


A demon like thing:


This piece was amazing. It was made from fired glass with netting or something fired in with it:


I like the simplicity of this one too. Even in that simplicity, triggers a sense of warmth:


I absolutely LOVED this one. It was probably my favorite... next to the glass one above. Loved it so much, I had to take a few!





Mirror placed under this figure, made for nice presentation. You could then see it from all angles without effort:


Random fragmented face:


And finally, Sagan and Forest doing their own projects with a medium much like plaster of paris/paper mache/clay…


Recipe for VERY HARD, sandable, paintable, non-fired modeling material:
Equal parts of:
Blow in attic insulation (like “cocoon green fiber” brand from Home Depot.) A huge bale costs $8.78
Dry sheetrock joint compound-also from Home Depot. $7.22 for an 18 lb. bag. (45 minute set time is good)
This stuff is a bargain when you price the Dick Blick Instant Papier Mache @ $64.99 for a 20 lb. bag!!!
Mix above ingredients. Add water a little at a time until mixture has the consistency of stiff cookie dough. (too dry is hard to model, too wet will fall off any armature)
A squirt or two of Elmer’s glue for good measure. ;-)

Press firmly onto any armature you have, smoothing as you apply so it bonds together. Cracks will allow for breakage after drying. Allow sculpture to dry thoroughly. You can sand and paint!!!