Well, here it is. My Critter for the EtsyMudTeam Critter Challenge. Voting starts March 21st.
I didn’t realize it, but this is the second Hindoo elephant I’ve made in the past 12 months… whats the deal with that?
I had a little sketch I did, but mostly this was a free form hand built creation. Made with porcelain clay, it’s hollow but still heavy. For the glazing I sprayed a light combo of my white, temmoku and blue glazes and then did a full dip in Weathered Bronze and fired to cone 6. I then applied a bunch of decals (tattoos). The motifs are combinations of Hindoo patterns and Mayan relief pictographs. Fired again to cone 07. Last was a Gold Lustre. Having never done lustre before, my application is a little “off”. I like it, but it spread a little too much out of the detailed painting I had done when it was fired a fourth time. This is most evident on the back tattoo. Gold is such a “strong” element, it over powers the decals. Maybe a smaller 2 hair brush next time?
Sometimes the “content” comes to me after a piece is done, and that is what I like most about art, my own and others. Is sitting back and contemplating the piece and “what does it all mean”. Right now, with the state of world affairs, I am liking that this little representation of Shiva is a clash of the American icon Dumbo, Shiva the Hindoo elefant diety, and mayan pictographs. The “clash” gives me hope that one day, we can all get along in a cute innocent childish sort of way.
