BOH = Bottles of Hope are small glass bottles covered with polymer clay and given at no cost to cancer patients. They symbolize a wish and a hope for health.
As a pre-Conference teacher, demonstrator and Vendor, at Fandango I have lots of time to play in clay. If who've not yet had the pleasure of going to The Orlando Clay Fandango you can expect to learn a great deal. Attendees are in classes all day learning from amazing teachers at the retreat. You will learn during the
day and the evenings will let you relax with fun filled events and demos.
There are usually a few folks who come to the retreat and don't take classes. They are in the same room as the vendors and demonstrators. As a demonstrator we are provided with a table for me next to our sales table where I can
demonstrate our products, demo and play in clay.
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Lois and I at the retreat - photo by Sara Pietruk |
Lois Lin has become a friend since my first time to teach in 2009
and we always find time to play together or just catch up.
When
it comes to Bottles of Hope, Lois is your gal. After spending some
time talking about Skinner blends and doing a demo of an Illusion
Leaf Cane it was decided to use some of the cane for a BOH. Lois and
I poured over some reference photos and mixed colors for a bluebird
body in three colors. After all, a blue bird perched on leaves should
make a nice BOH. I hoped to create a soft Skinner blend from white
to rosy rust to blue. It worked. I did a demo of first the blend then
the sculpting a bluebird with a blended breast, neck and head. Lois
was very helpful and fun to visit with.
After a few false starts the little bird began to come together.
Using a leaf cane I'd just demo'd the bluebird soon perched on a
small bottle given to me by Lois to make a Bottle Of Hope.
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Bluebird of Happiness - Bottle Of Hope
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When the bird was securely anchored to the leaves the top was
baked before beginning the bottom. The head, body and tail were first
sculpted. The face got a bit of added attention with a beak, black
shiny eyes and cheeks. The wings were added and textured using Penni
Jo's Clay Tools and pressed into the finished body. Above are
views the the unbaked bird.
The base was covered with scraps from the leaf cane and covered
with leaves. The background was textured for depth and added details.
Having no letters for imprinting a word, a Peej Pick was used to dot
the letters "H", "O", "P", & "E"
into the yellow centers of the flowers. A tiny bit of dark paint
helped to bring out the letters.
Above is the finished Bottle Of Hope which was
given to Lois when baked and cooled.
The finished design was signed before baking using
dotted lines to make my signature letters + the '14 for the year.
As usual, Fandango was absolutely wonderful! Seeing
old friends and making new ones is always a joy.
Yours,
Penni Jo Couch
Designer - Sculptor - Writer - Teacher
creator of