Merry Christmas

Well, it's Christmas. Tomorrow. So, what does that mean? It means that tomorrow we will be celebrating the birth of Christ by exchanging presents and feasting with family members. Even people who don't claim to be Christians celebrate Christmas. Why is that? My answer is that people feel the importance of rejoicing on this day, even though their hearts are far away; it sounds powerful, and it is. People celebrate Christ's nativity without even having acknowledged Him. That, to me, is amazing, and though others might try to cross the Christ out of Christmas and replace Him with Hallmark, that can never be, because all people feel His presence too powerfully to deny His holiday by ceasing to recognize it. I know that all of this has nothing to do with clay or Shakespeare, but it's Christmas tomorrow, and I would just like to say a little something today.
Cheers everybody, and have a merry Christmas!
L.P.G.

The Winter's Tale

Autolycus, a rogue. What more is there to tell? Shakespeare's best descriptions are those with fewest words.


Enter AUTOLYCUS, singing
AUTOLYCUS Lawn as white as driven snow;
Cyprus black as e'er was crow;
Gloves as sweet as damask roses;
Masks for faces and for noses;
Bugle bracelet, necklace amber,
Perfume for a lady's chamber;
Golden quoifs and stomachers,
For my lads to give their dears:
Pins and poking-sticks of steel,
What maids lack from head to heel:
Come buy of me, come; come buy, come buy;
Buy lads, or else your lasses cry: Come buy.

The first sales jingle was invented by Shakespeare. (:
Cheers.

Unbaked Rogues

Well, here he is. I am putting in the final revision touches at the moment, then it is to the oven. He is leaning, yes, but only because he has no base yet, and won't for a while. Oh man, do I wish I had a real work space, I don't even have a desk. Why? Because the room is too small. A house a house, my kingdom for a house!
Anyway, I pre made some eye balls, which I have been meaning to do for quite a while, so I think the eyes should turn out a bit better this time. I also have to make sure I tilt the head downward a bit more before I bake him, because he looks like he is stargazing. I hope he looks roguish enough.

Nick-Nack

Autolycus, a rogue. That is what the list of characters before The Winter's Tale says, anyway. So here lies the question- what on earth does an Elizabethan rogue look like?
The man is masquerading as a merchant of nick-nacks and trifles, yet goes about picking pockets and swindling swains during and after business hours. What would a such a man look like, who walked about the country singing "Jog on jog on"? Worn, wrinkled, brown, cunning, and...merry. Yes, merry. If he wasn't merry why would he sing a duet with a shepherdess? Needless to say, Autolycus is a fascinating character, and, though I often tend to spend most my time on what my figures wear, I think I will need to focus hard on the face for this one, then dress him in something vague and cover him with trinkets and bird cages and ribbons and rolls of old song sheets...
In short, details, details, details! Just thinking about him makes me want to sing--

"Jog on jog on the foot path way,
and merrily hent the stile-a.
Your merry heart goes all the day,
but your sad one tires in a mile-a."

All's Well That Ends Well

As you probably have already noticed, I did it again. I did not post progress pictures. The thing is, it's just so annoying to stop and take pictures when all one wants to do is sculpt or paint. Anyway, that is not what I am unhappy about. The issue is with Helena, she is leaning backwards!!!! I am SO unhappy. You can't tell in the pictures, and hopefully it isn't terribly bad, but in person it just looks horrible. Ugh.
Anyway, at least the rest of it turned out okay; you can't see the hair very well in the picture, but it turned out pretty well, I think. Of course, the "touch of red" I talked about earlier blossomed into a huge skirt of red, but that's okay too. I guess she did turn out all right, but she certainly doesn't look like how I imagined, somehow the clay always ends up deciding what a person will look like.
Helena is a woman who is in love with Bertram, and the entire play is about how Helena tries to marry and keep the unloving Bertram through impossible circumstances.


KING.
What 'her' is that?
LAFEU.
Why, doctor 'she': my lord, there's one arriv'd,
If you will see her,--now, by my faith and honour,
If seriously I may convey my thoughts
In this my light deliverance, I have spoke
With one that in her sex, her years, profession,
Wisdom, and constancy, hath amaz'd me more
Than I dare blame my weakness: will you see her,--
For that is her demand,--and know her business?
That done, laugh well at me.

The Decision

I guess I will make Helena from All's Well That Ends Well. I can see her so clearly in my mind's eye, that I am afraid my art will not do her justice. Such a mischievous expression, with dark brows and light hair. Such a gown and hair style, pompadour fashion, such a personality! This will take me awhile, I know, because I have to get this right. I think her color theme will be white, black, and a touch of red. Colors reflect a personality, of course. I will try to post pictures periodically.

What Now?

Alright, so what do I make now? I have an armature for a skirt already made, so the person has to be female. However, the question is, who should I make? I need help, there are too many plays! If anybody wants to make a suggestion, by all means, leave a comment. I just feel at a loss as to what to do right now...
Then again, nobody reads my blog regularly, according to the stats. Where are all those Shakespeare people? I know your out there! Somebody!
(cue echo effect)