this came from school the other day, a little squished during its journey home. i thought it was just brilliant. (disclaimer: i am horribly biased, sharing 50% of my DNA with the artist.) i just love the bird’s-eye-view perspective…
it’s a whale, coming up for air.
i thought it was a neat idea to create a scene within the frame of a jewel case of a cd and i wanted to try my hands at it. why do kids get to have all the fun?
i used modelling clay. rainbow packs can be found at dollar and craft stores. better quality clay or plasticine can be found in some craft shops, educational supply stores and specialty art stores. i have made my own play dough before but i don’t have a recipe for plasticine or a clay that wont dry out. if you know of a recipe, feel free to share.
i used a toothpick to help manipulate the littlest bits of clay. the clay, especially after you work it with your hands for a while, tends to stick to fingers. the toothpick helped me lift and place the clay as needed for the scene i wanted to make.
having gone through the process, i will say that this is one of those crafts best left to children with nimble little fingers…and professionals ;-)
next time, i will write about an artist who falls into the latter category. i’m pretty sure i share no genetic matter with her, so no biases there. she is just plain good and talented.
what a cute idea:) i like’m both! :)
Clay is something I have such a response to. When I see the raw materials I WANT to get my hands in there and create. (maybe I saw the movie ghost at an extremely impressionable age?)
I harbor dreams of pottery wheels and ‘throwing’ clay and firing it…or at least creating tiny perfect clay miniatures.
I’m so drawn to artwork that makes you dirty. ;)
LOVE the breeching whale! and looks like you did just fine with your big ol’ fingers – LOL – ’cause that ant is just adorable. I can’t remember the last time I worked with clay. Musta been making beads.
We did this craft somewhere before. I think it may have been Sunday school. I love the whale! Have you seen Barbara Reid’s “Have you seen birds?”. This is one of my favourite books. I sent it with some clay to my mom for Mother’s Day many years ago. All of the illustrations are done like yours. I think the artist does other books too. Look for her at the library! You’ll be inspired. I can’t wait to see your next clay art!
Those are soooo cute! Hey- I nominated you btw. :) Good luck!
Love both artist’s work!
adorable! and your little artist is clearly on the way to be a superstar. love the little whale.
Those are both adorable! I love them both, so cute!
That whale is amazing! It’s so adorable and I love the perspective too.
A very very cute idea by the way and I think it’s great you also went and made such a lovely one yourself.
Thanks for stopping by my blog:) I just browsed yours too and really love the beautiful unique things you make. Your drawings are amazing:)
hey, thanks for dropping by, glad you enjoyed looking around. i had to try my hand at this one, but yeah, the whale is my favourite :)
I love it! Both yours and the kiddo’s :)
Woooah, your kid inherited some of your art talent. Both are absolutely beautiful! Seriously love ‘em :)
thanks for all the nice comments! i’ll pass them along…
and tara, stay tuned!! :P
I love the whale – it took me a few seconds to figure out the perspective – but now I get it and it’s brilliant. Your kids are very talented – after their mamma ;)
Of course yours is super cute too ;)
You both did an amazing job :)
Pingback: barbara reid: author and illustrator (and talented plasticine artist) | i made it so.
That’s an amazing idea – it would add a really cool personal touch to almost anything in a jewel case!
And yeah, that whale is pretty rad! :)
Amazing
I just love the garden scene good job.
thanks pooja!
I wrote a book on this subject. You can find it if you search “Making and Improving Modeling Clay”. I was inspired to spend a year studying the composition of modeling clay, and worked out some of my own recipes with instructions on making it harder or softer depending on the season (temperature outside).
hi don. i think i found the book. very interesting. my daughter enjoys making stop-motion animations and it would be great to make soft clay ourselves. how long does your recipe stay soft typically?
Hi Imadeitso,
My recipe stays soft forever. It is a wax-based clay, so it doesn’t dry out. There are several recipes in the book that cover everything from the least toxic to the most potentially toxic clays. But I have been making my own clay for almost a year and have not had any problems. The “toxic” recipes have talc in them, which is probably the biggest concern. The non-toxic ones have other fillers that won’t irritate the lungs.
As this is dealing with wax, your daughter will need adult supervision. It gets very hot and will hurt if you splash it on your skin. But what I really like about it, is that the clay does not have to be covered and it can not be baked. Once soft, always soft. My favorite kind of clay.
Best Wishes,
Don C.
Author
Making and Improving Modeling Clay