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8/13/15 Jennifer Kroll sculpted this Dodo, and here is the first test piece. There are five more bisques waiting to be glazed, but I wanted to try a few techniques, such as rubbing off and leaving color in the white feathers, and washing the green underglaze into the base and around the rocks. I think he turned out great, and this one will be given to the winner of the latest contest. (the winner will be announced this afternoon, but I already know who it is. The best part of a lottery ticket is anticipating that you might have won, right?) I chose a slightly different color for him than Jenn did, as these colors work better for my palette, and this coloration is from an old lithograph, so is very likely correct...

Here is Jenn's original on the left, and the ceramic version on the right. Jenn's colors are very cool and blue-gray, but my current range of underglazes tends to the warm tones. It is striking, how much like an ostrich he seems in color. The beak, also, varies from painting to painting, there are blue toned ones like Jenn's, and flesh tones ones like mine. I liked the flesh tone because it picks up the color of the legs and feet, and it gives nice contrast.

I'll make a one mold run of them, but they will probably be just under $200 each, considering how much work they are. I'm excited to have a couple of examples in my own cabinet. I won't pin myself down on numbers, but right now I'm anticipating a maximum of a one mold run, which would be 25. If I decide to do a different color or something, may make some more, but then it would require a new mold.  

Oh, and the first casting, in bisque, is going back to Jennifer Kroll for a resin production mold.

Next test color will have the blue/gray beak. Like this guy... I think I like Jenn's base colors more than my green, though. And the browns would be easier to do. So this may be the only one with a green base.