Friday, October 7, 2011

A Flock of Seagulls

Make that one seagull, one starling, one dove (use your imagination~he's generic), and two house sparrows.






What's wrong with these pictures! EVERYTHING! And that is why they made it to this post. Because today is 'Failure Friday!' I came across this post and just loved it so. This very day I'd planned on saving some failures in my bag; and so timing is everything here. In actual fact, I've already 'saved' a lot of what is wrong but I keep giving away the birds I make so never have any on hand. First, all beaks get a kiss of silver or gold acrylic. I mean a 'kiss.' All eyes are no longer a seed bead because they roll over. Now I use bugle beads that have a flat plane to rest on. And I've developed a technique for construction so that the eyes don't have to go through the ordeal of being manipulated through a sewing machine phase. Believe me they don't want to have to go through the sewing machine phase. The best 'save' is the seagull feet. I was originally (this is my very first prototype in fact) going for feet that kind of bend back (you know how pathetic bird feet are of deceased birds? The kind that pull your heartstrings) but these are ridiculous. I wanted some bulk in the legs so wrapped them in fabric. Forget that noise. I've figured out the feet on my birds.
Each bird I make has a number (like on real birds who are banded with a metal ring on their leg) as well as a word or two of 'inspiration' such as JOY or LOVE, etc. These are inspirational birds after all. I painstakingly hammered the metal letters to spell the word on used aluminum can metal. Forget it; they break in two in no time at all (by the way for folk who are reading this who have received one of my birds as a gift, I apologize for the breakage; if it's happened to your bird). Now I am going to try banding them with paper. It's a work in progress let's just say.
The glitter is heavy and rubbing bare in some places. Wrong kind of glue. I've got that sorted too! And that dove? Skinny as a rail. Maybe he is not a dove after all. We'll have to see.

So there can be a lot wrong with one's art. Someone once said something like: "Art is just figuring out problems." I like that.

Thanks for dropping by! *smiles* Norma

p.s. for those wondering when their birds will arrive; know I haven't forgotten you!

4 comments:

  1. Nothing wrong with creating, it's all good. Love these Norma. xox Corrine

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and for joining in! It's nice to hear others have tragedies as well :) It's great that you've kept going on them and haven't given up, they will be worth it!

    Thanks again!
    Amy

    ReplyDelete
  3. OH MY GOODNESS...I THINK THEY ARE MARVELOUS!

    ReplyDelete
  4. These lovely birds are definitely not failures.... I love them! I do know what you mean to have to keep refining something until you are personally really loving it as well. But I think they are great just the way they are.
    Kim
    PS - thanks for your kind comments on my blog.

    ReplyDelete

Your comments make my day! Thanks for dropping by and we'll see you soon, I hope, *smiles* Norma

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...