It's "Sayonara" to White Bronze Clay for Me!

As many of you know, I've spent countless hours...and money on a certain brand of metal clays. I love the ideas of working in steel and white bronze clays.

Yesterday, when firing some Metal Adventures bronze clay--I'd thought it was copper, it was so dark in color, but I was wrong--it was bronze--I threw in a piece of mixed metal clays (of the other brand--copper and bronze--and fired it with Judi Weers schedule.  It fired beautifully.  Thank you, again, Judi for all of your help.

So...I'm thinking, maybe fire in a metal container, covered and see how it goes.  Fired twice (with one prefire) and the first time out of the second firing I got, again, potato chips (break like unfired clay!)  So, I upped the temperature in my kiln and  waited another two hours.  Just took the first piece out and it looked scintered, so broke it in half with my fingers--just like a burned potato chip!

I've spent a LOT of time on my birdie and my cala lily, so, I am going to try ONE MORE TIME.  Following the suggested schedule for the white bronze clay--using the manufacturer's suggested fiber firing container (the one that goes through carbon like crazy!!!!)...before I throw these pieces, and this brand of clay out--for good!  Pray for me!

                                                                  

Well...you know that things don't always go smoothly for me...

I'm working on my metal clay pieces from my gravestone rubbings.  They'll both be made of a combination of copper and white bronze clay.  As copper fires at a higher temperature than white bronze, I fired the copper pieces first and will then attach them to the white bronze pieces and fire again.  Of course I'm having kiln problems, so I don't know when that will be!

My copper pieces I had in the kiln at 7 AM for their second phase of firing.  First firing was yesterday.  I figured it (2nd phase) should've taken about six hours or so.  About 1 o'clock my kiln was somewhere around 1600 degrees--firing temp for copper clay, but I got an error message.  I kept it going for awhile longer then decided to use a firing schedule for mixed metal clays, which is at a lower temperature.  I turned the kiln off at about 3:00 and decided that the copper would be at least mostly scintered and that I could attach it to the white bronze and refire at the lower temperature.

The twigs and leaves of copper seem to be scintered, but appear to be more bronze than copper.  Why?  I HAVE NO IDEA!!!!!  All's well, though, as the color can be corrected with enamels or prismacolors.  I've had issues with white bronze clay in the past, too, but that's another story.

Anyway...this is what I have so far.  The copper portions are fired but not polished and the white bronze is not yet fired:

          







The bird I'm seeing as a pendant and the cala lily as a pin.

Monet and Van Gogh

I probably shouldn't link these two together, as their lives were so completely different, but I will.  Monet was not only an artist, but a highly successful one, and a businessman, as evidenced by his beautiful home and magnificent gardens.  Van Gogh, by contrast, failed at everything during his life, although his goal was not to sell paintings; he painted for his own pleasure.  He sold only one painting during his lifetime, and he scolded his brother, Theo, for selling it for too much money.  (This from our guide at Auvers-sur-Oise, although I've seen nothing in what I've read about Van Gogh to substantiate this.)  We were also told that, after Vincent's death, Theo gave a few of his paintings to friends who weren't thrilled to receive them.

 

Yes, I am finally thinking about actually making something.  Some of you may know that I carry two part modelling ompound with me on trips.  I made some molds from gravestones, one at the cemetery where Monet is buried and one where Van Gogh rests.  So far, this is the only artistic inspiration that I've had from this trip!  Below is a photo of the  inscription and bird from one of the gravestones.  It appeared to me that the grave housed the bodies of a father and four or five of his children.  Each had a very small marker, maybe 4 x 6 inches.
 I guess I didn't take a picture of the second one, in the cemetery where
Van Gogh is buried, but it has the image of a cala lily on it.

I believe that the inscription on the stone reads "time passes and memories stay".

Samedi!

We're moving!  We've been docked for three days and are finally on the move.  It is 7 AM.  I was up at 5:30 with tummy problems.  Too much rich food for dinner last night, or too much wine?

On our other trips with Grand Circle, we got, I believe, one glass of wine with dinner.  On this trip, they keep our wine glasses full.  Vive La France!

We just set sail and am waiting for some more magnificent scenery to photograph.

I think I'll skip breakfast today!

Au Revoir!

Honfleur & Normandy

Did I tell you this already?  We got on our ship on Wednesday.  Yay!  No packing/unpacking until we get home now!  Honfleur is a charming little town on the Seine, across from Le Havre.  We spent the first evening and first full day just exploring.  Yesterday we spent an emotional day and evening exploring the battle grounds of D-day, Omaha Beach and the American war vererans' cemetery.  It rests, finally, after having been once moved on a beautiful stretch of land overlooking the "French" Channel. Its site is US soil--given to us by or purchased from? the French--(I really don't know for sure).  It's employees--French citizens-- are paid in U.S. dollars. 

                                              

On that note--do the French really hate the Americans?  According to our guides, absolutely not!  They love and are very grateful to the American people for coming to their aid during this time.  They adored General Eisenhower.  They hated Bush.  They like Obama.  They like to be greeted with a Bonjour and left with a Bon Soir--obligatory in France for all--but, afterwards they will gladly converse in English.  It is considered very rude to walk into a shop without a bonjour--even if you don't see anybody!  Don't even talk about our American table manners!

A Thinker

I was very proud of myself when, while at the Museum D'Orsay I immediately recognized Balzac by Rodin.

The next day, at the Rodin Museum, we were greeted by The Thinker, which seemed to me to be a familiar old friend. Had we met before--besides in books?

As it turns out--we had.  Although now, I can proudly say that I have seen the original--the bronze and marble cast that inspired these thoughts stands in front of the Rodin Museum--was first cast in 1902.  There are more than 20 in all, including one at the Cleveland Museum of Art, which I have most probably seen before.

Inside the museum we were greeted, yet again by Mr. Balzac (this time in granite?), then another Balzac sculpture, then another, then a portrait painting. Finally--the piece de resistance--Nude Balzac! Definitely more than I needed to know.

How many Mona Lisas will I see at the Louvre or at home in the US?

Paris, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down* **

Second night in Paris.  I can't sleep.  At 4 AM I don't want to wake hubby, so I get dressed and go down to the lobby to read, blog.  The lobby--which consists of a computer and 1 cafe table and two chairs, is dark.  The concierge is asleep on a bench.  What can one expect for $200 a day?

So...I trudge back upstairs to the hallway in front of our room and take out my book and read for about five minutes...until the lights go out.  I take off my clothes and get back in bed to toss and turn for another two hours.

Again I dress and go down to the lobby--which is open now.  I walk down the street and pass a meat truck with sides of beef hanging in the back, ready to be delivered to neighborhood markets.  Of course, I don't have my camera with me!  A few people--very few, considering it's now Monday AM, are walking the streets as I go in search of a cup of cafe au lait.  Nothing is open.  I walk back to the hotel and the concierge directs me to the nearest Starbucks, which he says should be open.  I get there at about 6:30 to find that it opens at 7:30.  So, I go back to the hotel where the concierge tells me that the cafe up the block should be open.  It is not, but, as the door is open, I walk in and I was told to come back in 15 minutes, but was graciously offered a cup or coffee to go.  For only 2.80 euros, which is a bargain, considering, til now the least expensive I've found is 5 euros.  But, that is not a problem as I am on vacation!

So, here I sit, blogging, sorry if I'm grumpy, but I'm much happier now that I've had my coffee.

*The title of a book that I brought to Paris with me, very entertaining, written by an American business man living in Paris.  Highly recommended.  The author is Rosencrans Baldwin.

**As we check out of the hotel on Tuesday afternoon, I see a sign that says "coffee and tea 24 hours a day".