She will be cool. What color eyes? I know what you mean about perpetual WIPs. I have several that I would like to finish up this year.

Wonderous!!!!

Silva, definitely green eyes!

okay I grout the pupils black and then finished gluing the irises and the whites. I think their character will change drastically after the green grout creates the appears of eyelids

Whoa, her personality shines right out. This is going to be so unique and cool.

OHMYGOODNESS, girlie: She looks sooooo sweet. How in the world do you do those wonderful eyes? This is gonna be so special. Surely you'll keep this one for your garden????

She's gonna be sooooo gorgeous

ok, eyes are done now I just need to paint her and she'll finally be done

If you don't beat all. Absolutely wonderful. WOW - those piercing eyes looking right at you, and so beautifully done. Love the leaves on her face and the ones around her. May I ask how you put the ones around her? I'm assuming you made strips of the lath and just mortared the cast leaves onto that? Also w/love to know how you made the face, if you don't mind sharing. It's gonna be so beautiful.

thank you Slow! and everyone!!

to start out, I wired a chunk of polystyrene to a sheet of diamond mesh and then glued more foam on to create a rough blank to carve the features from... roughly! lol then I covered it with drywall tape and coated it in concrete - forming the finished facial features in the wet mix. after that I coated it in thinset and laid leaves into it to imprint her.

all the while, I had several inches of diamond mesh sticking out all around her. and as I cast leaves, I would put in a long hunk of wire with a drywall tape tab on the end to grab in the concrete and give me a stem to attache to the mesh.

so eventually I wired them on, trimmed the areas of mesh between the groups of leaves and poked cement under them to fill the voids between them, the face and the mesh. then later I turned it over and concreted the mesh from the back to cover all the wire and make a solid formation of it all.

one problem I have was the hanging wire I originally set up is no where strong enough to hold the finished piece so now I am faced with having to drill into the back and epoxying screws to hold a couple D rings and a strong wire... I do not relish putting a dril bit to it and hitting that embeded diamond mesh... one day I am going to learn how to properly plan for the stuff beforehand!!!

Oh, thank, NT for these instructions. I got it. Re the drilling, I've done that so many times I can't count. I regularly mess up on the hanger or soemthing else, and have to drill into it. Never has been a problem. I use several strands - twisted - of my stitching wire for hangers.

NT: Slow showed me, when I was there visiting her Queendom, the drilling thing, and I will be doing that to my planter to make drain holes. I am such a big fan of outdoor/garden art, that I Totally LOVE this!!!! I got to hang out with Klinger today and she was telling me that the gal who taught you the shading thing, will be at the Mosaico Haciendo next year!(2013)I can hardly wait to see this painted!!!

Carol Shelkin. I thought about mentioning her in my response to you NT. The results of her workshop you took really show in you work now. Sam said that Carol had a wonderful class back in November, and I see she's on the schedule for this year too. She had written me, asking for info on the Hacienda, and of course I gave it a 20 star review, and said once she goes, she'll surely return. Sure enough, she's on again.

she's a wonderful teacher and artist... loved her class and i really did learn a ton about color. I can't recommend her enough!

so I can drill through and I won't get jammed up in the mesh? whew! that's a relief to know. I'll probably wait until my next table project though, so I can just use some of the epoxy from that plan...

I'm gonna start painting her today I think

When I've hit the lath and the drill seems not to want to move, I just move it a little in one direction or the other until it goes through the mortar w/no problem at all. Anxious to see her all gussied up w/paint.

good to know, thanks. Okay, she's renamed (by my little one, Breda) Mother Nature.

OMYGOODNESSOHMYGOODNESSOHMYGOODNESSSSSSSSS. I WANT her - scuze me Lord, one LIKE her. Now you've done it, girlie. If you don't mind my copying your idea, I'm gonna try to make one of those next spring when the Hosta come out. I'll give you credit for the inspiration when I post. I LOVE LOVE LOVE her. Is that rub and buff highlights I see? Good for Breda - much better name. Is she gonna hang somewhere in your garden? If not, I want to talk to Breda. She'll make you keep her.

LOL Slow! yeah she'll hang somewhere out there.. yep its gold rub and buff, I did that after I used carnuaba car wax on the whole thing, interesting learning experience... I like it, a nice shine without looking too glossy. I certainly didn't come up with anything original here, green faces are common (mostly bearded men) I can't wait to see what you end up making!

Girl Slow is so right OMG!!!!!!I Love love love it !!!

A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.!!!! She is so transformed! I mean we all look better with some "makeup"(lol) but WOW! I gotta copy this too!!! Remember when we used to do the POTM!?! THIS is one of those!!!! Good Job!

POTM, I had forgotten about that! thanks ya all.

spend my whole evening working on a new table design - hopefully for a gallery show in the spring... I'll make a post on it in a few days

So glad to see you'll be keeping this beauty. Wax - thanks for that tip too. I learn so much from you. Yeah, I know - I've seen Green Man many times, but never wanted to make one until I saw yours. Oh my! Now I can hardly wait to try my hand. Hurry up Spring.

Lovely ... SUCH personality. Beautiful job.

I have been drawn to this and it has lived with me now for about a year and I may try to adopt it into something....

Here is a link that might be useful:

OOOh Jane, TOTALLY!!!!