clay: sea-themed candelabra in workshop

I was home from Santa Cruz and was finally able to easily fall asleep at bedtime. I was also back to imbibing wine. Just for a little longer before another sober curious break.                     

I forgot to bring this bottle to the beach cottage. Upon my return, I stuck the Chardonnay in the freezer to chill, drank a small glass and then put the wine in the fridge and went to bed. Finished the white wine the next night. Oh shit. That was a lotta alcohol. But I’ve another bottle in the pantry. That’ll be for a supper to share with friends sometime this summer. A bottle of soju too, and so I may host a Korean supper to share and get rid of that bottle too.

Last week at Clay Club@Capuchino, I extruded coils of red clay and formed the shapes for a candelabra and humped a slab over a plaster mold for a base as well as hand built taper and tealight holders. I constructed the piece this past Tuesday and started embellishing it.

I liked the shape a lot though I worried that it was too large. I used the silicon molds I ordered from Temu in China. I like how the coral and mermaid sprig molds turned out.

I kept knocking the candle holder off kilter though while decorating and hoped that it would by Thursday. Jeffrey helped with bringing props and casting a critical eye.

And I just kept trying to build up a coral reef...

...but also embellish the sea floor with a little crab and seashells.

I wanted to paint porcelain slip over the piece, but this build took too long for me to do that. I was also trying to add texture with stylus and scoring tools. All that messing around with the candelabra led to its collapse on the following Thursday. I knew that would happen though, and I remember when trying to build with this red clay before that it just didn't have enough grog. IT'S ALL LEARNING and A-okay. I'm gonna attempt this sea-themed candleholder again, but with Dixon Red and then use the Smooth Red for the sprig molds.