Making Birds

I love making these little birds. So I thought I might just show you how they are made.

They start out as lumps of clay. See those out of focus pieces there in the back? I squish the clay into something that has a vaguely bird like shape. These little pre-birds get set aside for an hour or two, until the wet squishy clay sets up a bit.

Then I use modeling tools to shape the wings and make then stand out a bit from the body of the bird. Oh and I give them eyes. Because I think they'd look a bit funny without them and it helps you tell the beak from the ....., well, other end.

Holes get poked through the body with a needle tool and then this hole gets drilled out and enlarged with a tiny drill bit. You don't get to see the drill because I forgot to take a picture of it.

These birds then get set aside, usually over night until they are bone dry. But I confess, that sometimes, I am impatient. In those cases, the birds get put in a cold oven, heated to 170F, and held for 20 minutes. Hey, I can't make cookies, but I bake a mean bird.

Once the birds are dry, I sponge them until they are nice and smooth all over and all the nasty rough edges are gone.

These little birds are all ready to take their first trip to the kiln. I love seeing them all lined up like this. My little flock.

I started making these birds last November for personal reasons. They became like little talismen and I have one in particular that isn't a bead. It's just a bird that I sometimes hold in my hand just because it feels nice. Several of you who have these birds have mentioned how you like to touch them or just hold them. You know, that makes me happy. It's like getting a little hug. Thank you!