Ethel..."Irish Diva" Bulldog Bead...in progress

I've been out most of the day (it's Friday...errand day for me!), but this is what I managed to accomplish before I left this morning. As I said a couple of posts ago, I'll be making a line of humorous/cute Bulldog jewels - and I didn't KNOW I was going to do FULL head sculpts on these...but I decided I needed to push the envelope a bit with my work and create something totally irresistable!

So, I have two English Bulldog characters I've created - one male (Fred) and one female (Ethel). Yes, I love the "I Love Lucy" shows and these two remind me of Fred and Ethel! The first sculpt I'm working on is Ethel in an Irish green hat with a four leaf clover adornment. If you can't make all that out in the photos, don't worry - in this stage, it's hard to make out details!

Here what you're seeing is the raw sculpted bead in translucent. Ethel is 1 1/2" in size in this sculpture. I was going to put her in the oven before I left this morning - but I decided to wait, look at her with fresh eyes when I got back, and THEN send her into the hot chamber. :) (gee, dontcha know she is glad to see ME right now! haha!)

First I will coat all but her hat, eyes, and nose with a layer of white liquid clay. After the first firing, that is when I will add the rest of her color.
I thought you all might find it interesting to see the piece in the beginning stages, so I decided to take her photo. Now Ethel the Irish Diva and I are heading back down to the studio. :)

Jai

P.S. 8:37 pm CST - update....Ethel made it through the oven without cracking - HOORAY! She has since been completely painted and fired again - just got her out and I am SO PLEASED. She turned out super cute and looks so real, I was actually talking to her. My daughter told me to grow up - LOL. I told her I don't WANT TO - I have been a grown up for years now and I don't like it, which is why I am making these beads!

Bulldogs always make me smile. No, I don't own one, but I would love to own not one, but TWO. (yes, Fred and Ethel). I've owned and raised Chows, I have owned a Bichon, I have had Poodles in the family, and I have owned a Samoyed. On my wish list is a German Shepherd, an Irish Setter or two, and two bulldogs. Currently, I have a chow/shepherd mix named Lady and she is probably the best dog I've had to date.

Anyway, Ethel the Irish Diva is out of the oven, and although I did like the Irish Diva name in the beginning, I think for her official "bead name", I will title her Luck of the Irish, but I'll sleep on it to be sure. She will be posted tomorrow in all her glory after her glaze is completely dry. :)