The Life of a Sandcast Leaf * Final Installment!

...A few tweaks to the colors......then a coating of 2 different sealers, a penetrating type, then a glossy concrete sealer on top of that.
A "tryout" on the copper post, just to see how decorative it is next to the pond, glowing in the evening sun.


...And here it is at the Farmer's Market, waiting for a new home!

The Toledo Farmers Market Flower Day Weekend!

This weekend is the biggest day of the year at our local Farmer's Market! I started attending this event, first as one of the Master Gardeners at The Ohio State University Master Gardener booth there (around 1991), then a few years as a customer, now in the third year with my garden art! Our Downtown area has been very depressed for quite a few years (and my job is in that area, so I see it every day), but I'm hoping, like many of us Toledoans are, that Downtown is on the upswing. Regardless, you'd never know there was anything wrong on Flower Day weekend! Many of the area farmers, nurseries, and greenhouses (AND garden artists!:o) ) converge on the Market with food, song, flowers fruits and veggies for two days and it is a wonderful thing! The first events where I tried selling my leaves were the Farmers Markets, so I have good feelings about them! This also kicks off MY season, as I will be doing quite a few shows between now and September.

The Life Of A Sandcast Leaf * Part 5

I usually paint the Rhubarb leaves as close to their natural color as any of my leaves, since the pink/red veins and light olive of the leaf itself is a pretty combination, but on this one I'm trying something different. Starting off with a gold color...

The second layer goes on as a wine color

Continuing with greens...I'm not sure about it, though...don't think I'm finished with it yet!...

Looks like one more installment to go!

The Life Of A Sandcast Leaf * Part 4

The "unveiling"- I always look forward to this part! (There's also a little Burdock leaf on the left to use up extra cement.) Most of the time, the leaf has sort of "cooked" from the warmth of the curing cement, so when I peel it off, the leaf has a distinctive fragrance that reminds me of hot tea!

...Almost all off. The leaf remains will go into the compost bin.
Ready to cure for a while

Here it is, sitting in the garden on a rainy day. Water helps cure the material, just like a freshly poured driveway or sidewalk! Next step- painting! :0)

New Home

...New {home for art show} canopy, anyhow. We decided to set everything up last weekend in the backyard to see how it's going to work. Unfortunately, it was a beautiful day at the beginning, then a constant gusting wind came up, even a rain shower! Good old Ohio weather! The lattice on the right kept swinging in the gusts, I was worried sick that some pieces would fall and hit others below them on the table. So I couldn't set up a very good shot - I kept running over every time a gust hit! Ended up with no losses, I guess that's the important thing!

The Life Of A Sandcast Leaf * Part 3

...Time to work! This one looks good for the first casting of the season!

Not the largest I could do, but there'll
 
be more very soon!

All set to go ~ on a sand bed and

"shaping stones" I make with

leftover cement.

Oooo! Isn't the Redbud pretty against the blue sky?

Oh...back to work...sorry..

...thought this was CLEAN work, did you? V
 

...Starting to play in the mud!

Almost done (for now!). All I need to do is add one more layer of the cement.

Elapsed time: approximately 1 hr. 15 min.

Part 4 coming soon!

The Life Of A Sandcast Leaf * Part 2

Vicki (my Victoria Rhubarb) is getting bigger! i would give it about 2 more weeks at this rate, and i should be able to start casting anytime after that. (The white thing she's beside is my cold frame i built with PVC pipe a few years ago) The strange thing is, i have another Rhubarb plant- on the other side of the cold frame - and the leaves are much smaller and totally different! i'm glad they're different, though, and the small one will catch up eventually, but i like Vicki's speed!