the bird that never came home

smkie

pointer/labrador/terrier
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#1




My daughter picked it up, she wanted it, I showed it to my son, he wanted it, I put it in my bag, took it to Mom's and she kept it. Never landed on my mantle. Sighs.
 

SizzleDog

Lord Cynical
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#5
WOW, I love it! You have some serious talent, I adore your birds!

Question... do you ever sell these? I think my parents and grandparents would love your work as well. Feel free to PM me if you'd rather not discuss it publicly. :)
 

smkie

pointer/labrador/terrier
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#6
I haven't decided what will be my art unleashed donation this year. Whatever it is it has to happen this month. here are a few that I am working on, I guess whatever comes out best is what will go.

this one has not had it's final firing yet. Cross your fingers the white blanket comes out as it should.


just started this puppy the other day...thought I would title it buy puppy art, adopt old dogs


ear kisses


and possibly the longest piece for sitting around uncompleted ever. The camera totally distorted it, so it looks a lot better than this in real life, why the camera does that on a piece of any size is beyond me. sighs..i have learned how to keep them wet for long periods of time..secret is, check them ever couple days even if your not working on it for months.


a very small piece I did for a friend who's dog died.
it;s in the kiln now.
 
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smkie

pointer/labrador/terrier
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#7

maybe a covey of quail

anyway there is more but I will stop. I might just let them pick.

big ol bowl made during the talent show and auditions and rehearsals...not a fast project.
 

Xandra

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#8
smkie you're amazing at what you do. All of your stuff is fabulous but the dog head? Ughfalkdj I love it!!!
 

oakash

Kat/Oak AKA The Nice One
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#9
That dog head has so much expression in it, I love it! And my second favorite is ear kisses <3 When I get a house, and money, I would totally buy from you
 

SizzleDog

Lord Cynical
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#10
That black duck is exquisite!

(PS - my great aunt that loves loons... she also loves ducks... so we can fall back on a duck if the loons don't turn out. ;) )
 

smkie

pointer/labrador/terrier
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#11
I love ducks too. Saw a lovely black one at the lake yesterday when my grandson and I was visiting the geese. She had a fish hook caught in the side of her beak. I tried to lure her up with food and almost caught her, it would have taken just a second to reliever her of it, but it was a no go. She only gave me one chance. Didn't seem to be impairing her ability to eat, but it was certainly swollen.

Thanks all for the compliments. maybe you will have encouraged me to finish that dog. Has been sitting around since before Christmas, back when Hy went into the hospital and our world turned up side down. I almost threw it out a few times, but would add a little set it aside and work on something else. The lady who asked me to make it never got back with me, and honestly I didn't like her at all for some of the things she said to me when I called and let her know it wasn't going to happen for the holidays. I had told her initially there was no promises....a child in the hospital wasn't a good reason for not getting it completed according to her... so it stayed on the back burner. I could have finished it after the holidays but I just didn't. lady has no idea how the creative process works, totally stressed out is a halt to all brain ability for me. Since then I thought forget about her, and just make it any old dog so I should get it done.
 
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smkie

pointer/labrador/terrier
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#14
What is funny is the texture is because I didn't get back to it in time to get a good burnish. Texture covers up a lot of flaws. I used my car key to make the texture, I did it before on some of the fish to make scales. Gg said I should have made the "feathers" go the other way, but if I had it wouldn't have started nicely at the head. The secret about the glaze is understanding which break up nicely and which do not, and I did a coat of g white over the yellow salt to ensure a pale cream and no darker brown as on the body. I used slip in the eyes so there would be no glaze running. WHen I dipped the bird (putting my fingers over the eyes) into the bucket of yellow salt I pulled it out and blew hard on it over the head, and down the side which made the glaze thinner, and there for darker. Other wise it would have been too uniform. Went back in with a brush and put the glaze in the right thickness around the eyes.

i have been wanting for some time to do a series of dogs interacting with people. Do what you know best right? i just should have finished the body and face on the human before I put the dogs in. I have made it really hard to get in there and clean it up. I am not sure how much detail to put on the face. I didn't want to go with none, too Hallmarkie but I don't want so much that the viewer would not feel a connection. So still trying to figure it out. Height is about 5 inches.
 

Shai

& the Muttly Crew
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#15
I love your birds, especially that first one.

And "Ear Kisses"...I adore that. Truly.
 

Moth

Mild and Slightly Nutty
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#18
Love all the birds...they are so simple in form, but so expressive in the way they are posed :)
 

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