Jane Burden Morris In Ceramic (again!)

I'm doing another Jane, fixing the defects I found in her previous ceramic incarnation. She's much better now, and I have started the fine finish. I worked a bit more on the eyes as I found them a teensy bit too deep-set, I brought them out about 1 mm. Small changes make big differences in portraiture! I also evened out the nostrils, the hair and eyebrows.

There Had To Be Another Jane...

Click on the image to reach the pattern page:

Jane Burden Morris, Still Needs Work!

She cracked, but I'll make another copy, as I have a mold. Below are the photographs of my prototype:













I have found a photo of her and I digitally superposed this image to my 3D version in order to increase her likeness in my next version.







I need to move the eyes a bit, lower an eyebrow, make the mouth smaller and lower. With the help of Photoshop. I can see what these corrections might look like, and decide whether I should alter the prototype in that direction, or even further in that diretion:



PLEASE COMMENT! Should I make the corrections or not? Below is the current version on the left, and the mock "Photoshop" changes I would make on the right.

Jane is in the kiln! Jane is in the kiln!

My bust of Jane Burden Morris is being fired in the kiln right now. A chunk that cracked off, and was repaired painstakingly, apparently went into the kiln without re-cracking. This does not mean it will no crack again in the firing! I'm keeping my fingers crossed really tightly.

That's why I'm happy I went though the trouble of making a mold. Whatever happens to this particular ceramic embodiment of Jane, I can make another version in a faithful likeness - all I need is another bag of clay. Working from a large and complex rubber mold remains a technical challenge (I had to try three times to perfect the technique). I may be re-inventing the wheel as usual, but I haven't heard of other ceramicists using rubber molds, the standard molding technique being slip-casting in plaster.

Jane Burden Morris - In Clay

I just wanted to see her in three dimensions. So I made her out of clay. Well not quite. First. I made her out of WAX. That's because was is a stiffer material, and this stiffness makes it easier to create a complex shape without worrying about some masses like the large shoulders drying at a different rate than the narrow neck, or the neck being too soft to support the head. From this wax model, I created a rubber mold encased in plaster. The wax model was extracted from the mold by steam melting. I pressed a layer of clay against the inside of the mold, and I have to say I had to try 3 times to engineer a way for the clay to dry evenly enough to safely remove the clay figure from its mold. That was quite tricky, but I got it. Victory! Now I can smooth the clay surface (something that would have been difficult to do on the wax model) at this stage.

Having a mold means that I could make many copies!

She's still moist and pliable at the moment, she needs a nice slow drying before she hits the kiln.

Maybe The Last of Jane Burden Morris?

This COULD be the last. I don't know. I don't know if I can stop myself if I come across another photograph. I confess to be in the process of making a 3D clay figure of her. The clay is drying right now, it should be ready in a few weeks. I will post pictures when she's done.

Click on the image to reach the pattern page:

Jane Burden Morris... deconstructed.

Second to last...

Click on the image to reach the pattern page:

Jane Burden Morris... Another One!

I still haven't exhausted the subject. I am working on two more. This is the first of a new trio:

Click on the image to reach the pattern page:

Back In The Swing Of Things

And now for a couple of glass painting patters of Jane Burden Morris. It looks like an obsession, but now I feel that I have exhausted the subject. I will make these two in glass sometime this year - numbers 15, 17 and 18. I plan to make these out of clear textured glass only, no color, just some tracing black and grisaille. The thumbnails are colored mostly to show people where the glass pieces are.



The patterns can be found on this Jane Burden Morris Glass Painting Patterns page.

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I haven't drawn any patterns for a whole year, and now I'm back in the game. Why did the drive dry up, why did it return? I have no idea, it just came and went, I have no choice but to roll with it.

Maybe I felt taken for granted, haha!

Here is a glimpse into future plans.

STAINED GLASS PAINTING PATTERNS
I want to continue working on glass painting patterns. Not because they are popular, but because I'm hoping that the availability of ready-made patterns will encourage glass enthusiasts to learn the technique. It opens up the door to so much creativity! This larger amount of possibilities, however, is just like a larger blank page; it's even more daunting and intimidating. It's a public service for the greater good of the craft.

VICTORIAN BOTANICALS
I enjoyed the recent series of Victorian Botanicals, and plan to do many more in the future.

Peony

Lady's Slipper

Helleborus

Anemone

Viola

Uvuvula

Jack In The Pulpit

Fern

Primula

Incarvillea

Iris

Clematis

Papaver

Meconopsis

Hosta

Stink Cabbage

Oak Leaves and Acorns

Maple Leaves and Samaras

I'm also considering adding some glass painting to some of these that have a lot of delicate details.

A Series of Medallion Portraits of Jane Burden Morris

LINK: Glass Painting Patterns of Jane Burden Morris

Here are several glass painting patterns that a great for practicing line tracing, inspired by nineteenth century photographs of Jane Burden Morris. I like those photographs because it's nice to see what was considered a great beauty in the days before heavy makeup and plastic surgery *wink*.

Jane Burden Morris, upcoming pattern

I just need to add the lead lines in Illustrator, and it will be ready to post!

Preliminary Sketches, Jane Burden Morris

Here is a preview of some sketches for glass painting patterns I am currently working on. I have to work on the borders (the lines are just markers), and most of the faces could use improvement. I am aiming for a more "graphic arts" style - rather than purely representational.

Jane Burden Morris

Preparatory sketches for glass painting.















In old age, Jane retained much of her beauty. This is her again with her daughter May on the left, and Jenny on the right. They are photographed sitting in the garden at Kelmscott Manor.