Kerbals!!!

I did my best to use my time in Canada over Christmas as a proper break. I cleared up all my freelance work and made sure I didn't have any personal projects hanging (My website doesn't count and yes, I know it's still not working and I promise I will be sorting that out in the next few weeks - by end of February at the latest) and I could use the sixteen days to decompress. 

I did, however, have one project that came up as a friend of mine is getting married this year and she requested a custom cake topper for the wedding. I was happy to accommodate and my parents kindly picked up some polymer clay for me to get this project done with. 

My brother came around one evening while I was working on the cake toppers and was struck with an idea which he later texted me about. "Could you make a Kerbal?" 

For those of you who are not uber nerds, Kerbals are these little people that live on Kerbin, which is a made-up planet in a space launch computer game. They're quite cute and when a player launches their rocket they can see the expression of the Kerbal aboard in the lower right hand corner of the screen - which acts as a gauge to how successful the launch will be. Unless it's a dumb Kerbal, in which case they always have a look of general glee on their faces, even if the rocket they're riding is about to explode mid-launch. 

So I made my brother one of these rather oblivious Kerbals. It was good fun as they're a great shape for polymer clay. There was no worry about the legs being too weak or the structure collapsing during the baking process. 

He was chuffed. 

My polymer Kerbal!

Peg and Horatio

Today I decided to take a break from editing, painting and stress by indulging in a little Sculpey fun. For Christmas this year my adoring girlfriend got me a lovely ornament. It's a little sled made of wood and wire, hung with a piece of wool. This gift was wonderfully thoughtful as last year she came to Canada for Christmas and one of our afternoons was spent on a hill. She stood at the top with one of my more sensible friends whilst myself and two less-than-sensible friends hurled ourselves down said hill on all manner of sledding devices.

London is considerably less snowy and hilly than Calgary and so this little token showed thought and love for something I love very much.

Any reciprocal gift needed to be considered with the same care.

Initially my plot was to find something in a shop. During the week I had the opportunity to pop into a store and take a look. It was one of those year round Christmas shoppes (With the all important double 'P' accompanied by an 'E' on the end) that tries to maximise on the commercial appeal of Christmas each and every month. Usually these places hold an abundance of every ornament imaginable and the high level of shoddy crap they sell is balanced by some relatively decent products. I scanned the shelves, knowing exactly what I was looking for. Less than thirty seconds and I knew I'd not find it here, nor anywhere else. Already my planned gift was coming together in my head and I knew there was only one way to go about it.

The ornament I gave would have to be one I'd made.

Today I got out my box of Sculpey, which I've not touched since a commission in the Spring to make a dragon. I've put my sculpture on a back burner as, more often than not, producing little colourful creatures makes me feel like a factory worker on an assembly line rather than an artist. I don't mind making a one off but that rarely happens. It takes away from it being a creative process when I'm making ten of something.

But this ornament is a one of a kind creation straight from my heart and imagination. It was so well received that I was inspired to make another one. Both were promptly named (Peg Robin and Horatio Hare) and now hang proudly at the top of the tree.

I made a dragon!

I don't often feel inspired to sculpt anymore, so I seized it when it happened and this little feller is the adorable result.

The only thing about him is he doesn't have a name! After posting on my Facebook Fanpage for my followers feedback (Alliteration is frequently fun.) as to which Tarot Card I should do next, I thought it might be fun to bug my blog brood to bestow him with a name!

Post your comments below. Suggest a name! Who knows what wonderful prize I might have in store for the winner. You won't know until you try!

This and that and the other thing

I started my next Tarot Card. I've been working on the concept of it for a few weeks now. I finally sketched out the polar bear yesterday, in between painting another Buddha piece and twittering. For now the Buddha painting will remain hidden, as I'm re-working it and not satisfied enough to share...yet.

I also got a commission. Just a small one, for a replication of one of my dragons from my Dragon A Day project. Even if it's not a load of cash, it's nice to make another sale. I've about wiped out my funds and until I make some more sales I can't get my paintings imaged or purchase any more canvases. I still have one blank canvas left but I don't imagine that will last long.

To remedy this apparent dry spell I've been doing a lot of promotions on Twitter. Gotta admit, fabulous marketing tool. Besides the fact that my followership increases dramatically every week, I've been meeting some very cool and interesting people. I especially enjoy Elevensestime and the wonderful group of people who attend. In fact, that is where I met the woman who has commissioned me.

I haven't done any sculpting in ages, so it was particularly fun to get my hands on some Sculpey once again. She's not entirely done, as I still have to spray her and let her set for a bit...besides having to figure out shipping and packaging, but she's mostly done and I'm chuffed with the result.

Because a lot of people ask about how I do my sculpting I decided to document this particular project. I can't say exactly how long it took me as I was painting the background of the Magician at the same time (Gives me something to do whilst the paint dries) but I'd say it took me about an hour to make her.

First you get your Sculpey together. I use Sculpey, which is a brand name. Most people are familiar with Fimo. Fimo is the older of the two and essentially the same but I prefer Sculpey because it's always soft. Sculpey is ready to go when you are. The only problem can be when it's a bit too soft. In this case, the purple I was using was particularly gooey. It just means I have to leave it to rest for a bit after each stage, so it can cool from having been played with. The heat from my hands only adds to the softness so a few moments left untouched makes all the difference to firm it up.

Not to worry, neither Sculpey nor Fimo can fully harden until they are baked.

Next I get my body shape. I changed the shape of my dragons heads but the body is generally always the same. In the case of this one I was replicating a dragon I've already done, so I consulted photos of the original Lilla to get the correct shape.

Following that I add the tummy accent, in this case a strip of silver, and the hind legs. I have many variations for the hind legs of my dragons. Sometimes they have three toes, sometimes two. How I sculpt them really depends on the position the dragon is in. This is probably the most complicated leg design I do, when the dragon is turned on its side.

The front legs are quite a bit easier and they provide support for the head and neck. I've tried making my dragons with a wire frame but I find it simply doesn't work. The Sculpey doesn't stick to it and usually the wire actually ends up poking out and causing more damage than being helpful. I imagine it would be better with larger scale sculptures, but Lilla fits in the palm of my hand.
The wings are always fun. I developed my wings in my clay dragons and transferred the technique to Sculpey. The shape is key to having them stay attached. I always do a long curve and cut them so they look slightly folded. To get the duo colour scheme I roll out my interior colour first. I get the sculpey quite flat and then let it cool for a bit. I cut one wing and use that as a template for the next one. This way I have two the same size. Next I flatten out my primary colour and lay the two inner pieces on it. It's so important to lay them out opposite each other or you might end up with two left wings or two right wings. I've done this many times and it's simply frustrating.

After the wings are cut I gently go around the edges and nip them together with my fingers, so the two colours hold. The thing about Sculpey is it's quite adhesive to itself,especially when it's a bit warmer from being played with. I usually use my fingers to smooth and attach different sections, but occasionally a nice shaping tool is useful.
Attaching the wings is a delicate process. Not wanting them to collapse requires steady hands. I always attach them to the back of the dragon first, before shaping or positioning them how I want them. I smooth them down on the shoulder blade, usually with my finger. I will push the interior into the body of the dragon with a tool, especially as any tool marks usually won't be seen there.

Then I curl the wings so they appear to be folded in on her back.

The last step is the eyes. I use a ball of white and then whatever my colour choice is for the iris. In Lilla's case it's yellow.

Very important tip when using Sculpey : The darker colours tend to leave a stain on your fingers. Purple, blue, red and some of the greens will leave residue that will transfer to lighter colours like yellow or white. To avoid 'tinting' your lighter colours wash your hands between stages.

To make the pupil I take a small piece of black and roll it on my work surface. I roll it so it makes an itty 'snake' with the ends coming to points. Using my knife I cut off the two tips and push them into my iris. The last step is adding the eyebrows, which I sometimes blend in or build up so they appear spikier. I leave Lilla's 'raw'.

And voila! The 'finished' product.

Now I just need to bake her, spray her, pack her and ship her!

And if you would like custom shoes, paintings or a mask or if you like something I've already made and want to help me get more things imaged, please place an order! I have prints of most of my work available, I do custom shoes and of course, dragons.

My prints start for as little as $19.00 CAD. I just need to sell two prints to make enough to get something else imaged or to buy two new canvases. So not only will you get a really amazing, different and inspiring piece of art work to decorate your home or office, but you'll also have the warm fuzzy feeling of knowing you've helped add to the creativity and energy of an independent artist.

And as usual, thank you for reading! *blows kisses*

A Designer's Mind

Commissioned Dragon Ornament

One of the most common complaints or excuses I hear about doing art as a living is with regards to commissions. Art is fun and great until there are requests and deadlines and then suddenly it feels rushed or it simply can't be done right.

I admit, when it comes to my writing, I don't like rules. I follow the rules of written English, of course, but limitations based on page length and deadlines for completion make me nervous and uncomfortable. I find my writing becomes stiff. It's not a route I like to take, which is why I will have to self-publish.

But my art is an entirely different matter. I have an advantage in that I prefer to create something for someone. Don't doubt that the work I do is of my own creation and imagination. I have done pieces just for me, but I really enjoy creating something with someone in mind. If they ask me for it, this means they like my style and even if I don't really know the person, I enjoy doing the research to make sure that their personality is captured in my work. It's fun for me, and easy, to create something with someone in mind. Of all my work, my favourite pieces are often those done for a friend or family member. One of my favourite accomplishments was a pair of custom shoes done for the brother of a friend. I'd never met him and only had his website (he makes guitars) to go on. The result was magnificent and I was told later that he was really happy with them.

I received a few commissions during my gallery showing and a few more following it. I found it amusing that those requesting them told me not to worry too much about getting them done quickly. They knew I was busy with my London plans and didn't want to add too much to my plate. Because I work so well with specifications and a narrowing of my ideas to a specific person, I am able to complete a commission in excellent time. I never feel the work is sloppy either, as my work is always done mindfully when it's created for someone. I can focus on what I'm doing in the moment and ultimately, the results are well received on both ends. I am proud of my work and happy that they are able to have a unique piece of mine that fits their personality and they are happy to have something created with them in mind, so they can say it was created with them in mind.

But if it's your job, won't you hate it?

Food for thought:

Does doing something for a living ultimately mean it will make you unhappy?

When I first graduated from High School I was given what I have often called A Dream Job. It was presented to me after years of volunteering and activism. I began working for a youth network that assisted youth in care or leaving care of formerly from care with things like advocacy, life skills and social networking.

I got paid to do things like make birthday cards, or play board games, or go to a theme park for the day.

Don't get me wrong, this job was no walk in the park. I also had to do a lot of tedious paperwork and I had to deal with a lot of emotional turmoil. When you work with youth in care, you hear some stories and it can be emotionally draining. Eventually it was so much so that I needed to move on, but for about two years I could hardly believe I was getting paid to do what I did.

Now, was it because it was ultimately a 'job' that I burned out?

Uh...no.

See, life is change and even the things we love and the things that make us happy are inconsistent, which is why so many people are miserable. They decide something makes them happy and if it stops doing that they don't always see it and they hold on too tight instead of accepting the impermanence of everything.

So yeah, there is a chance that doing what I'm doing right now, int his moment as an artist, won't always satisfy me the way it does. But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop doing art. It's vast and the opportunities are vast. The ways in which I can grow and express myself are endless so I will only get bored if I let my work and passion become stagnant. The difference between this job, however, and any other, is that it belongs to me.

When I'm working for a retailer I'm filling their job. I'm doing something for someone because they pay me to.

When I work for me, I'm doing my own job and that means I make my own hours, my own goals, my own tasks...

ultimately I make it what I want it to be.

So I'm happy, because I've no reason not to be.

And two more dragons! No longer a dragon a day since I'm terribly busy preparing for my ten day trip, but I'm still going to complete 31 dragons by the end of November.

The Visa Fiasco

Here's a funny story...

So my venture to London is being made possible through the Student Working Abroad Program (SWAP), which helps you get a working holiday Visa, among other things. There's a bunch of steps in getting said Visa, the final one being a trip to Edmonton to get my 'biometrics' done. This is finger-printing and a retinal scan. Before you go all "Oooo, Big Brother" on me, it's actually quite practical because such a high volume of people arrive in London Airports with no documentation at all, let alone forged stuff. They're just trying to keep the riff-raff out. *laughs*

So I get all my paperwork in order and use a day off to make the three hour drive up to Edmonton for my ten minute biometrics appointment. As I'm leaving the office for the three hour drive back to Calgary, it sort of occurs to me that I don't remember getting my Passport back from them. Then I check the Very Important Sealed Envelope they gave me. It MUST remain sealed and I'm to mail it off to the British High Commission ASAP. Squeezing it gently, I locate my passport down in the corner, so I breathe a sigh of relief.

I drive back to Calgary and mail it off, express, at a cost of $14. It's gonna get there in two days, maximum, and according to the women at biometrics, I'll get it all back in four to six weeks.

So the next day I'm working a closing shift at that place that isn't really 'work' because this is my real job. It's a close shift and I'm heading up for my dinner break around five-ish when my heart suddenly freezes in my throat. Sitting at home, because I'm terribly practical and the opportunity presented itself, are plane tickets for my London 'Preview'.

Departure date: November 1st! A ten day trip to check out my accommodation, get some job interviews and prepare myself for the Official Move in January. And those plane tickets were for a date which was just then exactly four weeks away.

And me without a passport.

Because it was a close shift and there was no way I could do anything about it until the next day, I spent that evening telling every co-worker who would listen all about my foolish mistake and how I might have to maybe cancel on that ten day trip and wouldn't that be funny? Eventually?

I called SWAP the next day and left a long rambley message asking if they knew how to put a rush on things or if I could get a temporary passport or anything?

They called back and 'phew'... let me know that it takes them about five to ten days to process the application. So I checked my e-mail and the tracking number on the parcel, confirming it had been signed for and was safely at the British High Commission. My mind was at ease, although the Elephant of Doubt was sort of tapping my shoulder. But on Monday, this Monday the 5th, SWAP called to let me know my Visa, and therefore, passport, was in!

Picking it up has been incredibly reassuring, not only for confirming that my ten day trip at the start of November will happen, but also because this is really it. I'm really moving to London for a year! It's going to be fantastic and now that it's three months away I'm beginning to get hugely excited. I keep thinking of all the fabulous art I'll see, the museums I'll visit, the historic places that will take my breath away. I am so full of anticipation.

I love potential. I love finding it in all the little things I do every day, but I love creating it as well. This trip is going to be so incredible for my writing, my art, my imagination and my soul. *smiles the widest smile*

And to throw an image in with this post... a Faery Fox!

Dragon A Day!

Five days in!

Dragons #3 and #4 are Walter Melon and Ben Nana, fruity creations I'm quite pleased with.

Dragon #5 is clay. Even though it's right bloody cold out, I figured playing with clay wouldn't be too chilly on my fingers. Turned out to be huge fun. I tried a new style for the legs and a different technique for attaching the wings. It was so much fun I ended up making a little baby dragon too! So...two dragons today!

The Art of Happiness

First off, the photos. I've decided to follow in the footsteps of many other artist with the "*blank* a day" technique. This helps improve ones skills as well as resulting in some really fantastic art! I've settled on "A Dragon a Day".
So, two days in:
The blue one was the first, but it didn't survive the baking process. The gold one is my first crack at making a metal frame to support my Sculpey. Usually I just free-form it, but that resulted in Dragon #1 losing its head.
Dragon #2, however, is intact! I have yet to title him, so he shall simply be #2, for now.

Doing a piece of art a day seems to be the theme to a lot of the Blogs I follow. It's a cool idea and one I'm excited to try. Whether I make it a full year or not, it will help me to hone my skills and provide a nice depiction of my imagination through sculpted dragons.

Another common theme in the blogs I follow is the topic of success. This venture into a career as an artist is not entirely new for me. Many of you may recall when my stuff was available at the Jane Doe Market Place and Cafe (R.I.P., it was a brilliant concept and unfortunate that it just didn't manage to survive.) back in 2006/07. I got a few custom orders from that stint and it's true, there was a definite appeal and interest in my magnets and clay dragons,but it didn't pan out.

Thing is, I got really good at making excuses. I perfected all the reasons why it probably wouldn't work and wasn't practical. I didn't want to 'cheapen' my art, or I didn't have time to market. I'd go with it if things at Jane Doe turned out well, drop it if they didn't. I made no solid commitment and didn't have a truly motivated plan behind my idea to 'be an artist'.

Recently I've been getting a lot of comments from people who've known me for a significant enough length of time that their comment could be regarded as mis-informed. In particular I am thinking of a message from a former co-worker. She's interested in commissioning a piece from me and in our back and forth correspondence she showed great surprise at my talent and skill. This just shows how good I was at making excuses.

I'm an artist. I'm also a writer. These are things about me that are as much a part of me as the colour of my eyes, and yet, they've gone unnoticed. When I remove my glasses people will often comment on my eye colour. They didn't notice it before, they'd remark, but without my glasses they suddenly do. My glasses do not change or block my eye colour from view, just as my excuses did not make me any less of the creative individual I know myself to be. I need my glasses to see but my excuses have no room in my world anymore. This is because I believe in living well and living right in order to be happy.

Happiness does not come from some huge sale of my art, from recognition or fame. Happiness is holding clay in my hand or writing another chapter or the stroke of my paint brush on an empty canvas. Happiness is knowing myself and to that end, I have succeeded.

Autumn Arrival

As September draws to a close the weather seems to have finally caught up with the month we're in. Despite how chilly it's been I've been as active as ever. Today I managed to drop some more 'zines around the city and yesterday I made more magnets and prepared some new listings to go live on Etsy in short order.

*see Photos*

Outside of my art life and yet, still quite related, I've been going forward rapidly with my plans to move to London. My work Visa should be processed by the middle of October and on November 1st I'll be heading to London to start getting my bearings on where I'll be living and potential employment whilst there. The official move isn't until January, but as a hugely practical person, I figure it's a good plan to 'test the waters' before taking the plunge.

I have to say I'm tasting the anticipation of the move. As I peruse the blogs of other creative master-minds I find endless references to the fabulous, famous Big Cities of the world and how they contributed to their own personal growth and success. Most of them have been able to move to remote locations upon the arrival of great financial success, but it was their time spent in these cities that molded so much of what they do.

I don't have any set expectations for 2010, but I do know that I have always been a firm believer in experience being the greatest teacher and inspiration. As the ever so wise Dr. Seuss said, "Oh the places you'll go!"

As I plunge into all the potential of this move, I am wide awake to the possibilities, opportunities, and risks. I smile the widest smile as I think of all the people who have shown their support and all the ways I've been able to support myself to get this far. None of us know how far we'll go until we step off that edge. My goodness, what an adventure it will be to find out.

Rejection!

Threadless has informed me that my submission just wasn't quite right yet. I'm going to tweak it and submit it for the Critique. The link will follow once I've made time to do this, as it requires going to my parents house and using their computer.

In the mean time, I'm working on more sculpey stuff today and clay tomorrow. I'm preparing because Halloween is just around the corner and you know what that means: Christmas is coming!

As far as getting rejected goes, I feel pretty awesome about it. The author side of me is doing little jumps of joy because, quite frankly, any sort of communication is better than nothing. I remember when I got my first rejection letter and what wholly thrilled because it meant they actually opened my manuscript and read it! Oh, and on that note, I have heard back from the publisher regarding the submission I made to the anthology piece about people in the GBLQT* communities and accessing mental health services. *fingers crossed* Even if it's not chosen I'm thrilled that writing the submission has inspired the beginnings of a new novel for me. This will be fun because it's my first go at writing a fully non-fiction piece.

Oh! And that was a Mental Health thing, right? Well, this accessing mental Health services and being a recovered neurotic is opening up opportunities all over the place. There's this fantastic group called Opportunity Works (Aptly enough.) calling for artists to submit their work to a catalog. I've just sent my submission this morning. I've decided to submit my Tarot Cards for it.

Right, enough networking, time to create.

*GayBisexualLesbianQueerTrangendered/Transsexual...not to mention IntersexedTwo-SpiritedAsexualandJustPlainUnlabeled

Etsy launch!

I've taken the plunge! Gotta say, it's been quite nerve wracking. Mostly just because it's a very real step in running this as my business. Annoyingly enough I have been so jumpy about it that I didn't edit my 'announcement' e-mail, which is terrible. Spelling mistakes abound as I'm typing on my parents annoying tilted keyboard. It's one with a split down the middle...I miss letters and type them out of order. Boo! Which is why this entry, thought started at their house, is being finished and posted from my lovely laptop.

I've also uploaded some more photos of my artwork to Flickr, which I've also posted here for your viewing pleasure. These are three pieces I did for my parents. The mask was a really fun project. I gave my mum a blank mask for Christmas, asked for design ideas, and the following year I gave her this custom designed "Leaf Mask". It's a design I'd love to do as a proper costume mask.

"Bird Woman" is hanging in my parents library. I've just recently found out that my dad counts it as one of his favourite pieces. This was done when I was in a very experimental place. I was playing with acrylic, learning about its application and developing my style. I did this with my hands, for fun and to loosen myself up. I like to think of it as reversible, actually. I think it looks like a flower when it's the other way round.

"Stegosaurus" was another gift for my mum. In this piece I mixed my sculpting with painting. I absolutely adore this work. It's always going to have a fond spot in my heart and I'm extremely pleased with the delightful reaction it achieved when I gave it to my mum.

The last photo is of four little Hippo magnets I made yesterday. They too will soon be available for purchase through Etsy, so keep watching if you're interested. Of course you needn't use Etsy is you don't want to. Anyone who lives locally can drop me an e-mail and arrange a private sale.

A busy art filled week!

It's Hump day!

Finished the "Element" shoes (Other than laces, which I've got to decide on still). I'm really happy with the design. It's just something I sort of came up with on a whim. When it comes to painting shoes I prefer to do custom orders since someone has to like the design I've chosen for the shoe size if I pre-paint stuff. The pairs I used for "Hermes" and for "Elements" were extras I had from a few years ago. I decided to just go for it and paint them with something I thought might have high appeal in general. They'll both be available for purchase through Etsy when my page goes live. I'm planning on launching it next week. This will coincide with the release of *glee*, my promotional art 'zine! Thanks to my absolutely wonderful mother, I've got 20 colour copies ready to hit the streets.

Watch for those and remember to Fan me on facebook and/or add me to your Twitter if you want more updates on my artwork and how to get some.

Also photographed in this entry are some more magnets I've done week. These little Sculpey creations will be available through Etsy.

Now I'm gonna rest a bit from typing. Karrie Arthurs of Blackbird Electric added to my personal art collection yesterday so my arm is quite sore.

Business Cards!

I'm working on some new ones.

Actually, I'm working on a lot right now. I finally nipped over to Quickdraw to hole-punch a brand new ream of paper so I can start animating with the new light table.

I've also picked up some glossy photo paper so I can make a portfolio of my work. This sudden flurry of activity was brought on by a crappy shift at work and a random wad of Sculpey I found on the sales floor. Monday was the crappy shift, which left me in a funk. On Tuesday I opened and I was feeling quite put-out when I discovered the Sculpey sitting on a chair. I brought it to the back and set it by the computer. Despite being such a huge company, my work has crap computers, so, whilst waiting for the thing to load, I'd fiddle around with the plasticine-like clay. Eventually it resulted in a dragon and a wee pig, which I set up so they appeared to be contemplating each other.

One by one my co-workers began noticing what I'd made and commenting on my talent.

It's funny because I'm always talking about how weird it is when you first spend time with people outside of work. It's not that most of us are any different, it's just we only talk about work while at work, so we don't always get to know the things that make us who we really are. I notice it in my co-workers all the time, but I've always thought I've been pretty vocal about who I am, until that day. Suddenly I realized the source of my frustration was that I've been trying to be happy doing a job that isn't me.

So, yeah, I communicate well and I could probably be great in HR or as a manager or something, but being good at something in one setting doesn't mean I can't take it and apply it to something that is more definitive of my nature. I'll drive myself nuts trying to make that skill work in the wrong place and it took the small reminder of who I am (an artist.) to see what I needed to do.

So I'm grabbing the bull by the horns and I'm going to stop putting off what I want and what fills me with joy because I'm afraid of the work or because I think it will be too expensive. Even when I feel miserable, even when I'm in the worst sort of funk, I can, do and will still create artwork and stories. So it's about time I began sharing that with the world, properly, and promoting myself.

My desire to be without significant responsibility has ebbed in that I am feeling frustrated about not becing able to change how things go at my job. Well, none of us are ever really in control. That's what makes life fun. Every new moment, every new challenge, and every new swift kick in the butt from the Universe that tells us it's time to learn a new lesson and let go of an old attachment is a way for us to continue on a path of happiness with an open heart and mind.

C'est La Vie.

From Clay to Stone...

My first experience with sculpting was when I was eight. My aunt had me over for the weekend and she brought out her Fimo, a man-made clay that you bake int he oven to harden. The stuff is annoying and difficult to work with, requiring about twenty solid minutes of rolling it around in your hands before it's soft enough.

At the time it was all there was though and I dove head-first into creating with it.

I've often said the thing about someone who can draw is, they see all those shapes that make up what they want to draw and they can go straight from the diagram in their head to the thing on paper. I sculpt the same way. I just see the proportions and go with it, understanding the shapes that make a wolf or elephant or pig.

I have since moved on from Fimo to Sculpey, which is cheaper and softer. It's fun to work with and less messy than actual clay, being similar to Plasticine.

I work with clay as well, however. I paint the finished work with acrylic or glaze. *arm pump* Here's to my mum having a kiln.