Also, this year, to increase my chances of getting in, I applied in several different categories, sculpture, mixed media, and fiber. The fiber category was difficult to enter in since most of what I wanted to enter has been sold and I don't have any good quality photos of those pieces. I had to scramble and find something I already had in inventory since I was out of time and could not make anything new. And, I felt better at least attempting an entry in as many categories as I could.
If you want, you can click here to see all of my entries.
My original intent with the sculpture was to have the kelp plant, a dolphin, and a flock of sanderlings (shore birds). Well, the dolphin didn't work out as I had planned. Then I couldn't figure out how to do the birds. Then, suddenly, in a fit of inspiration, my brain said, "Tide pool!" Perfect! I could do that without have to do too much experimenting. So, back to Home Depot I went. (I have spent more time at Michaels, JoAnns, and Home Depot recently than all last year combined.)
So, here's the beginning of a tide pool for your enjoyment...
I started with a 24" diameter table top and started adding pieces of Styrofoam packaging material to build up a general shape of the tide pool. I just hammered some nails into the wood and shoved the foam pieces onto the nails. I suppose I could have glued the pieces on. Actually, maybe if I had done that I would not have hammered that nail into my finger.
So, the next step was to use another product from Home Depot, foam in a can. It is used as a gap filler. I just squirt it on top of and around my foam pieces, and here is what I ended up with after using up two cans of the stuff...
And here, after hours and hours and hours of making anemones, and starfish, and mussels, and rocks, and other sea life, is the finished tide pool. (Well, almost finished. The side that you can't see in the photo does not yet have any creatures on it. I still need to make several dozen mussels and whatever else I decide to make to fill in the rocks.)
