I got the mold on Thursday and immediately started pouring it, and have made enough flowers in two days for two of my dogwood bowls. Not terribly efficient because the mold turns out two flowers at a time, but My Man at the Factory, Hector, is going to make me 5 more of these molds and then it's going to be raining dogwood blossoms. I also got a little mold made of my birds:
I always refer to Hector as "My Man Hector" because he has been making molds for some of my work this past year and I am amazed at how good the work comes out and how skilled Hector and his crew are. I never have been into the idea of having my work molded, I just love throwing too much. But the first time I went to the New York Gift show last year and took a bunch of orders, I came home and threw everything and had blood blisters on my fingers from throwing so much. I'll suffer for my art as much as the next person, but this was ridiculous. I sat on Hector's waiting list for almost a year before he took me on as a client, and it's really great working with him. It also totally changes what kind of orders I can take. I'm working with a client right now who wants 300 leaf platters for a hotel. A year ago an order for 300 anything would have made me insane with worry about how to pull off a big order like that. With Hector on my team, I haven't lost even a second of sleep, it will be totally taken care of.
Back to pouring more dogwood blossoms...
Raining dogwood blossoms sounds lovely! Congratulations on a 300 plate order- I would totally freak out if someone ordered that much from me,I admire your innovation in finding a solution with another aspect of handmade crafting.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny I should happen upon your post today. I've been spending the last month making plaster molds in my ceramic sculpture class. I love the final product, and there is nothing like being able to use something you've made yourself, but the process is the most tedious, frustrating, enfuriating process I've come across in my years as a student of the arts. I think it's great that you appreciate your mold maker the way you do, he puts in a lot of sweat to make those molds for you. Don't forget to send him a fruit basket for the holidays... ;)
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