First Of It's Kind...

My mommy in law's birthday was this week, I had been working on a new top/basin for her birdbath base (to replace a broken one), so this was the perfect time to give it to her. This is the first time I have tried a compilation of techniques like this, and, aside from the rough edges, I really am pleased with the result! Of course, this is a photo of it sitting around at my house - will get a picture of the top and base together soon...

The Life Of A Sandcast Leaf...Part 1

Since it's Spring, and my plants are just barely breaking ground, I have decided to follow the progression of one leaf from new growth all the way through harvesting, casting, and painting, ending with the finished product! So, since Vicki ( my Victoria rhubarb) is the first to show her head above ground, we will follow her! Here is pic number one...

Bird of Paradise...

My friend Joanne (who started out as one of my bosses) had a huge (at least 9 ft tall) Bird of Paradise plant in her office. When I started leaf casting, she would call me to her office every time a leaf broke off or needed to be trimmed off, and I would take it and make a casting of it. Unfortunately (for me, not her!), Joanne retired at the end of February. The people in our office decided that they would like to give her one of my pieces for her gift, following a theme of "Now you'll have time to garden!". I suggested we give her a piece cast from one of her own plant's leaves, and I showed everyone photos of 2 of them to compare and pick their favorite. So I wrapped the one they picked and took it to the party. She was pleasantly surprised and (I think) thrilled with it, and it made a great impression on the board members and guests who attended!( I did not ask her if I could post her picture, so she's 'incognito'!) I really love the tropical leaves, but most of my customers seem to like the hardy leaves more (perhaps because they have deeper veins and more texture).I, of course, at least took a division of her plant for home, since I don't believe her replacement wants such a huge creature in his office, and it may be given away soon!

A Little Work in the Studio

...By "studio", I mean my picnic table in my backyard! Was finally warm enough yesterday to work outside. These are just little "birdfeeders" that screw onto aluminum rods that I began to make for people who may not want an actual piece of artwork, or who want an inexpensive yet unique gift for someone. Before painting...V

...And AFTER painting!>

Nanci's Creative Castings ~ Continued!

"The business", as I call it now, is beyond a hobby - I consider it my second job! Since I have to work full time at something else, I am not able to do tons of shows, but I now have a canopy for outdoor shows, my first actual art show last year was the single best day in sales that I have had so far, I have some of my work at several area shops, including George Carruth's Garden Smiles in Waterville, Ohio ( I live in an adjacent town), and I just started a website! My pieces are in gardens around the US, including Boston, New Jersey, Florida, Oregon, California, and even Canada!

Nanci's Creative Castings Part 2 ~ The Epiphany...

So, one summer (2005), as I noticed several plants in my garden sporting large leaves, I decided to try leaf casting "just for fun" - I had seen enough sites that explain how to do it, so I just took pointers from them all and tried it- I'm pretty much the type who can look at anything "artsy" and figure out how to do it on my own. I was hooked after the first try - they were so detailed and lifelike that I had to do more!

Towards the end of the year, I was trying yet another hospital craft bazaar with my jewelry, except that the lady next to me also had jewelry, PLUS had a very professional display, AND she was an employee there ! Needless to say, I barely sold anything, had a lot of compliments- although- as DH says, "If compliments were dollars, you'd be rich!" They weren't- and I wasn't!Anyway, I did, for some reason, take 5 leaf castings with me, put what I thought were highish prices on them, and they sold! Quickly. And they were asking for more! Well, I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but even I could figure out where this was going! The next season, I was off again, this time with leaves! They quickly progressed from the plain rough cement, to some color with cement dye, to completely hand painted, with hooks to hang them or fittings to put on copper pipe for birdbaths! OK, hubby was the one who kept insisting I should paint them, so I have to give him credit for that. I believed at first that leaf casting was a craft, but painted...in my mind,that transformed them into Art!

Nanci's Creative Castings ~ Part 1

Years ago, I made jewelry for myself. I would go to garage sales and buy strands of beads and crystals because I liked beads and crystals, not that I had any plans for them, but after I got married, I decided to use those components to make jewelry and sell it at craft shows. I had business cards made (pre-PC, Internet, and Website days - when giant lizards roamed the Earth). Anyway, made little backing cards for earrings, signs, and generally got all excited about the prospect of making extra cash and spreading my designs to the world! Well, a few more years went by, and while I got tons of compliments, very few sales developed. Of course, I did realize the problem(s) - I was doing little craft shows because I was too che...uh...frugal to spend entrance fees on art shows, I did not work fast enough to develop an inventory, I made only one of anything (I get bored easily), plus I would not price things real low - I wanted to make SOME money!. Then, especially after the technological revolution, anyone who was creative could look up tutorials and learn how to make jewelry, and 99% of the time it was very nice. So, unless someone had a really unusual take in that field, or they had a huge inventory and could sell it very cheaply (OR if it was high end), it wasn't going to work. Like most of my friends tell me, "You can only have so much jewelry!". So it was looking gloomy for my little business....

BUT, during my years as a gardener, I had seen a picture of a leaf casting in a garden magazine - it was a concrete leaf created by Little and Lewis, sculptors in Washington state who are pretty much recognized as the premiere leaf casters, and some of the first to show that leaf castings could be art. That picture stuck with me, and as time went by, I couldn't help but wonder if I should try it for myself....

A New Beginning

O.K., I had my garden art blog mixed in with my "everything else" blog, and "everything else" is becoming a kind of diary or journal, so(I have a feeling), I need some separation! This takes up most of my "free" time these days, and, although not a "career", it sure feels like one!

<<This little solar bobblehead I have sitting in my winter studio (i.e., the laundry room!) says it all for me....