Welcome to Inside the Studio!
Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you’ll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.
Congratulations, Lori Bowring Michaud!! You have won a set of three Tropical Tide Pool Beads from Erin Prais-Hintz. Please send Erin an email with your information so she can mail that out to you!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today we visit the studio of
of
MaryHardingJewelry
I am delighted to be back again this month filling in for a team member.
I want to thank one and all of you for your very interesting and thoughtful comments about your studio space that you left here last time I posted. I have read every one of them and have learned a great deal about how varied our needs as artists are. I think as a whole all of us want that special room of our own so that we can have our creative supplies at hand and not have to feel interrupted by putting them away before we are ready to. And for many different reasons we would choose to be in our homes or in a studio separate from where we live.
I also was so delighted at everyone’s response to our old barn and the studio spaces inside of it. Again, thank you so much for your wonderful comments.
Ceramic Birds Mary Harding
Today we are visiting my studio to look at some birds I have been making. I have been inspired by the subject of our March Monthly Challenge, Birds on Riser, by Adolf Dietrich.
My birds don’t look much like the ones in Dietrich’s painting since I am going for a more folk art style bird. I am hoping that they have a presence but don’t convey a specific species of bird.
I make all of my birds by hand forming rather than using a mold. I start with a ball of clay that will turn into a bird. It is surprising to me what a small amount of clay it takes to make a bird.
After I roll out a ball of clay, I pinch it to rough out the bird shape as in the pictures above.
picture of clay shaper, ball stylus, orange stick(manicure tool) and wooden skewer
Once I am satisfied with the shape of the bird, I use these tools, in the picture above, to add some markings for texture and use the wooden skewer for making the stringing hole.
Birds beads with textures not yet fired in the kiln
Yesterday afternoon I spent some time painting the birds I had made recently. You can see I work in small batches. They will be coming out of the kiln in time for this post.
Birds that have been bisque fired and are now ready for painting/glazing and one then one more firing in the kiln.
Finished Birds Painted and Glazed by Mary Harding
in my Etsy shop
Now for the question: Other than birds, what is your favorite creature to include in your bead work? Leave a comment below to be entered to win a pair of my hand formed ceramic birds like the ones in these pictures. A winner will be picked randomly and will be announced next week.
Thanks so much for stopping by.
Posted by Mary Harding
Posted by Mary Harding
Nan Smith
March 16, 2014 at 5:38 pmThanks for the inside scoop on your birdies, Mary. They are perfect and very evocative of the birds in the painting. I love using birds(who doesn't?)but I'm starting to stretch out and Rebekah's (TreeWingsStudio) sleeping woodland creatures are inspiring me. The next one I'll try is the fox, followed by bunny and hedgehog.
Alice
March 16, 2014 at 6:34 pmBirds are my favorite but I also like using butterflies in my jewelry.
Your finished birds are darling!
Thanks for sharing your process.
Karin G
March 16, 2014 at 7:03 pmBeautiful birds! I love how you turn those little balls of clay into such beauties!
Danielle
March 16, 2014 at 7:07 pmI Do love birds! I have been "friends" with many who have shared their joy filled lives with me and my family! My last birdie, Sophie, went to fly the eternal sky 2 years past and Boy I still miss my friend. She was the most beautiful color blue and she had an opinion on everything! LOL I have wanted to do a memorial piece for her for sometime but still, after 2 years, cant get my heart around it.
Your birds remind me of all the tiny ones at our feeders in winter.
Sajuno
March 16, 2014 at 9:32 pmThese are delightful. I have been pondering how to go about making my tiny bird beads for this month's challenge and your short tutorial might be all I need.
I also like to use fish, dragonflies and crows.
Thanks again.
Sara
Sarajo Wentling
March 16, 2014 at 10:33 pmThanks for sharing your birds, Mary. I too am pretty fond of our feathered friends, but also really enjoy dragonflies lately.
freshbakeddesigns
March 17, 2014 at 12:14 amButterflies!! And a few ladybugs. Also made a sweet pair of hedge earrings with beads from Heather Powers for my daughter.
Gigi Harlan
March 17, 2014 at 1:03 amThose little birds are so cute! Congratulations to the winner!
Gigi @ Old World Patina
beadrecipes
March 17, 2014 at 1:33 amI love frogs, and I wish there were more froggy beads out there to keep all the birds company!
Angi
March 17, 2014 at 12:35 pmThank you so much for the inside look into your creative process! You are such an amazing artist! I love to design with birds and owls. I also love the tiny houses created by so many talented artists!
Angi Mullis [email protected]
KayzKreationz
March 17, 2014 at 2:32 pmI love your little birds. Other than birds, I love adding owls and horses, especially when I can find them, but can't find them small enough. Need to figure out how to make some myself out of polymer clay, I guess. Would love to have some of your birds to play with.
Susanm
March 17, 2014 at 6:13 pmThanks so much for the step-by-step description of how you make your birds. They are all adorable. I like birds, but fish run a close second. I have a cute little Jade Scott hedgehog who keeps pushing her way onto my design space (aka the dining room table).
Janet Mc
March 17, 2014 at 8:19 pmVery Lovely Mary! Nice to see you tell anything about how you do your wonderful beads.What is it about birds that make our hearts soar? Its warming up and today is about 67 a really pretty Spring day..and the little ones are slowly coming out to eat the bugs and the seed..
Cait Throop
March 17, 2014 at 9:51 pmOh Mary, I love watching you work and love visiting you in your studio! Your little birdies are so charming and happy! I love your creative process! xo
Ema Kilroy
March 17, 2014 at 9:53 pmBeautiful little folk birds Mary. Thanks for sharing your technique with us. They are adorable. I'm seeing a pair of earrings created with them.
Melanie Connor
March 17, 2014 at 10:08 pmMary, your birds are just adorable. Thanks for sharing, as usual all you do inspires all of us.
Patricia Johnson
March 17, 2014 at 10:22 pmThose are sweet! Wish me luck! 😉
Lynn
March 17, 2014 at 11:00 pmThanks for sharing how you make your tiny folk art birds—I will have to try doing something similar. I really love using dragonflies also. And starfish. And butterflies. Oh how I would love to win your little birdies!
Lucy Kalstrom
March 17, 2014 at 11:07 pmI like any and all animals, cats, dogs, owls, butterflies, bugs and pandas! Great birds Mary <3 Thanks for the tips 😀
Sandra
March 17, 2014 at 11:22 pmSuch cute birds!! I love to use birds and dragonflies in my jewelry.
Sandra
March 17, 2014 at 11:23 pmSuch cute birds!! I love to use birds and dragonflies in my jewelry.
Cheri
March 18, 2014 at 12:02 amI love your birds, I also like using owls!!
Ann Schroeder
March 18, 2014 at 2:00 amI love your birds! I have to say, I seem to have a thing for elephants lately. They are really fun!
Meg
March 18, 2014 at 2:40 amI like any sort of forest animal – foxes, deer, squirrels, bears, all of them! Beautiful birds, and thank you for sharing the little peek into your process!
Stories They Tell
March 18, 2014 at 3:02 pmLove those birds, Mary! They remind me of Inuit images, just the essential bird you might say. You have defintely captured their "birdness". Also very much like the birds in my Oxacan black clay necklace from Mexico.
As for the animal I do most, this is funny, it's a serpent! I love owls, butterflies, etc but I have done several dragons and a few other serpent-like creatures. I don't do a lot of animal figures in my work.
Thanks again for the entertaining post.
Kathy
March 19, 2014 at 2:58 amI like using dragonflies. Just answering this question makes me long for spring and summer to go camping! It has been a long winter up here in Northern Michigan! Speaking of birds, I will be so happy when they start returning!
Shaiha
March 21, 2014 at 7:23 pmI just love your birds! They are such individuals. I tend to use a lot of dragonflies & starfish in my work. Yeah I jump all over the place.
olga rutko
March 28, 2014 at 10:03 pmОчень нравятся Ваши птички! Люблю также рыб, сов и разные домики. Очень люблю Ваши мастер-классы.
olga rutko
March 28, 2014 at 10:05 pmОчень нравятся Ваши птички! Люблю также рыб, сов и разные домики.