A Turtle Tale - A Commissioned Memorial Piece

September 2021 A couple contacted me about creating a sea turtle in memory of the womans deceased young daughter. The girl loved sea turtles. 

 I sent them this proposal in Email. 

 Thanks for the honor of creating a sea turtle for you. 

 These are some of images and template that I will be using for reference. Your sea turtle will be approximately 24” wide and 30” long. I will be creating a simple stand with rods to the underneath center of the body. The sea turtle will float approximately 10-13” above the stand. It will take me approx 8 hours to make and 4-6 hours to glaze. The turtle will be glazed with muted blues and greens. Cost to you will be $500. I would like 1/2 down as a deposit, and 1/2 upon delivery. I will include delivery to you in late January or early Feb. If the piece does meet with your satisfaction I will keep your deposit and not ask for the final amount. Reworking the piece can be discussed at this time if needed. Thanks in advance for the pleasure of creating for you. Jada 

I also asked if they would like in progress photos or would like to consult anywhere in the process?  They said no and that they would let me do what I do best!  If only all commissions gave me all this freedom.  

Jan 2022 I started the process. I always refer back to my reference material and template while working. I think it gives me consistancy as I work towards a goal. If I make changes I write them down on the template, so I don't forget. Things I need to consider for a large piece: size of the kiln, type of clay, weight while working and finished weight with the stand.  

Things did change from my proposal.  The width and length were a bit larger.  It took me 12 hours to make and 10 hours to glaze.  I had planned a completely different stand.. I had the proposal murky enough to cover the problem so that what I ended up with was better than I had planned.  
This is the photo I sent with the proposal.

The start of the top shell.  The bottom shell was slightly smaller.  I laid them in a rimmed plate, curved them, installed the support ribs and assembled when it was close to leather hard. 

With lots of patience I finally got her finished. 

As the turtle was getting leather hard, I was able to find the stress cracks and repair.  I used paper clay for the piece and added fiber into my slip when repairing cracks with solid clay, not just slip.  Do not fill holes with slip, it is less dense than clay and will shrink and crack.

These are glaze tests.  Variations of Jeff’s Long Beach Blue and Marcy Wrenn’s Dark Turquoise over and under each other.

I used clay wads to prop the fins while going through the bisque fire.   

I glazed the bottom shell first then glued a kiln shelf to the bottom.  It kept it clean and safe.

I was worried it would be boring so I drew on rings with the second glaze. To my surprise the glazes did not melt together and left very defined lines. 

It was more work than I intended, but worth it.

It was too big to fire in the bisque kiln so I separated the head and epoxied it in after the glaze fire.

There were many issues with firing.  I was worried that I had not put it on a high enough “cookie”, shelf.   

My worry was founded in the fact that every fin laid on to the shelf during the glaze firing. If you look closely you can see the rough areas on the ends of the fins.  I took a black epoxy paste and smoothed and filled in those places after I hand sanded and cleaned up the areas as much as possible.  I also propped the front fins with one wad of clay underneath each one.  I wiped the glaze in the spot and glued the prop.  Afterwards I removed the props, sanded and filed in with epoxy paste. 

My Signature 

I cut a pattern to see how it would look on the stand. Luckily I have a very good friend who is a metal worker who was willing to work with me on a deadline to get the stand made.

I epoxied a rubber stopper to the stand to go in the hole in the piece to give it strength not to fall off while it was drying.  I also turned her over on her back,  for drying.

I recommended to the client that maybe a mirror or reflective surface underneath the stand might help show off the underside.  The metal turtle on the bottom almost looks like the shadow of the turtle swimming.

In the car for transport.

The new owner was happy with the piece, paid upon delivery and sent me a lovely Thank You.

Dear K

This is happening way to fast. Just a few months ago we were fantsizing about making pots into our old age and now, way before what could be considered old age your body has decided to rebel??! What the hell? Everything was relaxing and becoming dreamy as we were floating, sometimes literally, towards towards our "Golden Years". We both worked so hard helping others love what we love. We are getting our time in the sun, you working in your beautiful studio and me getting to work in it too! Now our clay has faded way into the background. Only something way more pertinent would or could get me or you to consider putting it down. You've been my clay soulmate, no one else understands clay like we do together. Now you have to navigate this unbeleivable mountain of stinky slop! I am your huckleberry. Your mountain is my mountain. I will hold my nose at your side and push you from behind up that hill. When you can't be pushed I will drag you with all my might up to the top. If the backside looks fun, I'll get us a sled and we will build up speed and catch some air as we pull away from the stinky pile. This is my hope... we ride into many more years of attempting to master centrifical force and make friends with the fire.

Doyousmellsmoke2020 I hope to entertain you with my view on life. There are things that I'd love to try to understand I am overwhelmed by the ironies I see.