Promises Kept!

I think I kept my promise. I smoothed her complexion a little more, and think she's beautiful now. I remade the film with the last few shots added in.

Anyway, she's gone to China again, and I've send the payment for re-working. I still need to find a Pantone Colour chart so I can be specific about the colour resin I'd like them to use. The sample they sent was a little yellower than I want really, but if I say I want the tiniest touch of red added she might come back coral colored or peachy, which isn't what I want. In a couple of weeks they should send something back that that I will approve, and then we'll be full steam ahead. (Full steam once I've worked out where I get the money from to order a hundred of the figures...)

These images were also taken using the digital microscope (and put together in Photoshop) which is why they have such a change in the light on different parts of the body... 

The exhibition ' An Unavoidable Intimacy' mentioned in the first post (Once upon a time) has been extended for a week, which is great. I've invited everyone again by email and Facebook. Must remember to do Linkedin as well. 

The Rumsey Wells basement, 4 St Andrews Street, Norwich, NR2 4AF 

http://www.rumseywells.co.uk/ 

Open Monday 12.00 - 5.00 and Tuesday till Saturday , 12.00 - 3.00

People might be getting fed up of my emails by now, but the response to the work has been so enthusiastic that I might as well keep promoting it! 

Got home from the day job on Friday to three lovely emails from people who've seen the show, including one from the man who cast most of the Twelvemo Figures in the exhibition 12 years ago! He was visiting Norwich quite by chance and found a flyer for the show in a coffee shop and popped in. His help back then was invaluable, and his patience was very stretched by the project (!) so I'm delighted he's seen what I'm doing now with the figure and likes what he sees. Normally his company makes huge fiberglass things, like gigantic guitars for stage shows and all sorts. 

www.articolestudios.co.uk
www.articoleprops.co.uk

And well done, and many thanks are due to Luke Emery, for promoting my exhibition so effectively! You can find out more about Art in the Underbelly in his blog;

http://artintheunderbelly.blogspot.co.uk/

And on this facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/396859079907/

Also, please share this blog or any of the other Twelvemo platforms with your friends and contacts, and if you haven't done so already please take a look at my Etsy shop;

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Twelvemo.

In the last 12 months nearly 7000 people have visited it and 444 have 'favorited' an item or the shop! It's quite interesting watching the stats... Have to calm myself down sometimes, and remind myself that the massive, huge spike in visitors that might happen from time to time does in fact, only indicate that another, ooh, 4 or 5 people have visited.

I'll be back when I have more news to share...

Some Time Later...

So, quite a few evenings and a bit of weekend have been spent shaving fractions of millimeters from the face, and painting on Milliput with tiny brushes to define the features and clean it up.  I'm never happier than when doing this kind of thing, and this is a very good job. When I think of all the dozens and dozens of hours I've spent doing the other face wrong I should want to weep! I suppose I don't actually want to weep because it's possible to learn more from our mistakes that we learn from our successes, if we care to think about it... 

The moral of the story?


... If I think it's probably not quite right, then it probably isn't. If I think I may have taken it too far I almost certainly have taken it too far. I really should learn to listen to the advice a small sensible part of me is trying to give to the enthusiastic artist in me....


I will have a last look tonight before I pack her up and send her off again. I promise I will only do a tiny bit to improve her complexion and I swear that I won't get structural with her.


You can see some of my customised Twelvemos on my Etsy shop:


http://www.etsy.com/shop/Twelvemo 


I really, really want to see what other people would do with them. That's why I want to make them more affordable. I think it might turn into quite an interesting kind of collaboration!

A Little Plastic Surgery

Some pictures of the two faces, compared:

I'm refining the older version, cleaning it up, trying to define the eyes better. What do you reckon?

Not finished yet, I'd like to point out...


Unfortunately I also had to fix a design flaw in the right thigh, and re-model the torso, which was oddly lopsided. All these things are my fault not the factory's.  It's amazing how clearly you can see flaws when you have had a good break from working intensively  on something. And when it has been remade by someone else in really clean and consistent material.

OMG Sample from China!!!

The good news is that I've at last received the sample from the factory in China! That's right, folks - a factory in China! (Don't ask me how you go about finding a factory in China to do your bidding! You just have to be brave and work it out for yourself... That's what I'm doing... It may yet end in tears but I hope not.)

The bad news is that I really don't like the re-modelling I did on her face. You'll see what I mean if you look at the pics below. I knew I'd gone too far, but I hoped I was wrong. I could hardly seem to see her in the end and I HAD to get on with other things. Anyhow, I didn't have time to put it right. So things will be delayed a bit while I have another go... 

The good news is that  I don't care! Overall she's lookin' pretty good. She came assembled, but I'll have to do all the assembly myself with the ones I order. The pieces are nice and clean though. There are one or two little flaws which can be resolved pretty easily.

It's obvious isn't it, which one's nicest, by a long chalk? She kind of took on a weasel-faced, pointy look which isn't what I want. I had obviously gone slightly mad!

Am now going to get the box of little tools out again and plug in the digital microscope (*rubs hands gleefully). It's good to have had a break from focusing so closely on such a small thing for such a long time and it's really clear to me what I need to do now.

(Please follow and share the blog if you like the Twelvemo project. I don't know much about blogging, but I know I want to have a following... I think that's the general idea.  Not stalkers...

I'm sure I should be following other peoples blogs if I want them to follow mine. So far the only one I am following is this which has made me LOL more than once.

http://diaryofadolescrounger.blogspot.co.uk/

Can anyone recommend a blog that will blow me away? I don't know how to find them. The world is awash with blogs but there is so little time and I'd rather be trawling the junk-shops or remodeling a tiny nose. I want a hot fresh, funny blog or two served to me on a plate. Please.

Must go!

:-D

Once upon a time...

I just can't help it... I do lots of different things; illustration, sculpture, animation, model-making, book binding, photography, poetry and all sorts. I'd like to use this platform to record and share what I am making or doing with anyone that might be interested. 

So first of all here's the poster promoting the exhibition I have showing at the moment, in Norwich (UK). It's on till the 28th April. I worked like crazy to get 12 pieces of work done and am very happy with how they look and with the response the work has received, which has been warm and enthusiastic.  These are photos taken in the space, so not exactly studio shots, but I think you'll get the general idea...