WOW! Love them!! And a base for your other flower creation?! I was just visiting the gal pal who moved onto the property right behind my place, and her yard is gorgeous, but her kitchen has some horribly plain backsplash work done and she LOVES all the mosaicing I do, and I told her that I may have to do her kitchen backsplash with her...boy did her eyes light up!ha!

Slow~Oh WOW Those are going to be so neat!! Where can I get the diamond lath? I want to try that.

Calamity, I want to do my kitchen too.. Wanta help? :)

You girls inspire me every-time I get in here!!!

Very interesting...hmmmm. where did you come up with that
idea? I think they will be great but where are you going to put them. Janie - I know you are excited about your new neighbor! That's great to have someone close to enjoy your art with you...Keep up the good work Slow.

WOW. Slow, you always amaze me! Have you seen Ivan Lovatt's wire work? See the link below.

Wouldn't you love to mosaic some of his stuff??

Here is a link that might be useful: Ivan Lovatt's Chicken Wire

Thanks, y'all.

CALAM - lucky duck - w/love to collaborate w/my student on her backsplash. Her husband is objecting to her new obsession, though, so I can't get involved. He doesn't want her to go wild w/mosaics like I have - too late - she has already.

ANGS: I get the diamond lathe at Lowes - comes in sheets of 27 1/2" X 6-7'. It took nearly two sheets to make these pieces. Remember - double layers for the sculptures.

FLAG: The idea came when I had to figure out a pedestal for the "Flower Pot", I thought I should have a threesome. I'll put them at the left corner of the house near the driveway to replace those tacky blue totems. Gotta take out those bulbs that didn't bloom for lack of sunshine, and these flowers w/be surrounded w/ferns.

CHINA: Oh, how talented Ivan is - wish I could sculpt like that. OH, what TALENT. Mine are very crude and primitive, but they please me just fine.

Got the pedestal for the flower pot mortared, up to the leaf and bulb of the tulip and way up on all stems to the Lily. That one is a balancing act, so have to wait 'till the stems harden b/f finishing mortaring. Student comes tomorrow, as well as Suzie, so I doubt I'll get to do any more for a few days.

Those are going to be gorgeous! Can't wait to see them finished.

Thanks slow~Double up, got it!

Oh My!!! Those are going to be sooooo unique. I truely appreciate you showing us pics each step. Sometimes it's hard to invision steps that are hidden by the final show-off. How tall are they gonna be? 4'??? Can hardly wait to see them bloom.

I've been wanting to make something along those lines--garden flowers that last forever. It's actually how I stumbled into mosaic. I'd first been thinking about making flowers out of metal like rebar and copper, but when I saw how expensive copper is, and that it would involve welding (fire), and that there were zero metal sculpture classes in my area, I switched to cement.

I can't wait to see how they turn out! I know they're going to be beautiful! Flowers are still on my to-do list, but I'm toying with an idea that's a little different from what you're constructing.

For me, one of the most enjoyable things about this forum is how differently everyone approaches the art. I think it would be so fun one of these days to send everyone away to make the same thing then see what we all come back with.

loribee, we have done such things in the past! WOW! If that Ivan guy gave classes...that would be a great course for all of us to show up at!!! I just can't imagine how hard it is to get the wire sooo perfect!!! I LOVE his bunny! Oh Slow, you have me torn...I wanna play like you are doing with this particular set, as I'd LOVE to have a set too, but man, my yard is hidious...it's back to yardwork for me, AND that includes finishing this arbor/trellis/new garden beds...I am so pokey compared to you!!!ha!Too many sponcees, not enought hrs in the day!

Wow, those are going to be amazing! Where do you get your energy? I want some . . .

Mr too!!!

CRAFTY: The lily is 4 1/2 ft., the tulip 40 inches, and the base for the flower pot is 22 in.

LORIBE: As CALAM says, we have had exchange challenges. W/be interesting to throw out a subject and see if we get any takers.

CALAM: I think I'm working so furiously right now cuz I fear the days when I won't be able to work this hard, so I seem to be driven to create. It gets me up in the morning w/a world of ideas. I'm sorta neglecting the gardens, though - need to weed.

SILVA and NANA: My energy spurts are mostly mornings, it wanes in the afternoons and I'm worn out.

Heres the only progress I made yesterday - had a group of kids come in w/a gift of some colorless floor tiles that I'll be forced to use on flower pots yet to be made. Of course, they had to see the house AGAIN, then my DD is here for two weeks, and my student was here from 11ish to 6:00 - talk about worn OUT!!! Little progress on the base

Are the other ones creted? Love this base already!!! I just noticed that even my porceline dishes are chipping! poo! I will have to look into that paint cover up you mentioned. It has cooled down drastically here...55F! Wore a turtle neck the other night!!!Sheesh! Well, off to church, then home to clean my Art room/turned storage/dump ground room...

Dang !! That is looking good!

The others are creted up to their blooms. Finished gluing the pedestal yesterday afternoon - grouting this morn after working in the garden a bit. It's still in the 90s here. Thanks, NANA.

One down, two to go. Of course, it's standing crooked - w/straighten it later. Was too tired to put a plant in it - had to move several plants to make the space, and it's HOT out there.
First of a group of three

Slow, that is just so beautiful, again another gorgeous project coming from you. I think you're inspiring me to get some more lathe and start putting together something. I really liked those garden ladies in another post. I envy you having such nice warm weather, it is chilly here like Jane says. Feels like fall and I am so not ready for it.
Cindy

Thanks, KLINGER: Working w/the metal lathe has become very addictive. Since my DD is here for awhile, I have to slow down and work w/her on clay projects, so won't be able to finish creting the other two for awhile. Wish fall weather w/find it's way to Texarkana.

This is another GORGEOUS project, you sure do work fast, I love it! I'm just grateful for the world wide web...that I have all this inspiration and great friends to come visit!!!! Amen!

Two down and one to go.

Oh, these have turned out so nice! I can't decide which one I like best. There are favorite elements on both. I love the stem on the one on the left, so pretty with the flowers embedded. But I also love the design of the one on the right, the way the leaf twines around. So beautiful!

Thanks, LORI: A member on Flickr said the tulip reminds her of "The Little Shop of Horrors". I checked it out on Google, cuz I'd never heard of it. It does have a resemblance. The tulip was a bear to grout.

Wow she's at it again...you are such a wonder Slow!!! How much do you charge for your tours? You really should!!!

GORGEOUS! Oh I LOVE this one, reminds me of the tulip bulbs I just bought...are gonna be a wine/purple color! And what makes it Over The Top, is that leaf and stem!!!! Just Fab Slow!!!

Thanks, you two. EMT - Riana told me the same thing.

I missed this I also love how they turned out .I need to do some of those for my garden .Trying to down size with the real flowers as my fibro and lupus is really doing bad things to me .Can not work in the garden like I used to!!!

They are beautiful!!

I love these Slow! They are so charming! I couldn't tell what is in the middle...are they filled or empty? Are you going to use them for planting flowers or plants in? How do you come up with your ideas? Your projects are always to colorful and cheery.

Addiesue

The red one is open for planting - probably Dianthus soon - the purple one is just a bulb. I finished concreting the 4 ft. lily yesterday, along w/a birdbath I built. Having back problems, so am working slowly. Thanks for the compliment.

Well, they are beautiful and very cheerful! Hope you start to feeling better soon!

Addiesue

The third in the series of three has been finished for over a week - yard man moved it today in place. Not as colorful as I w/have liked, but it is what it is. Also pictured in Gardens 2010 is an updated picture of the Upside down floppy hat birdbath w/a little fall color. Asters are past their prime, but still pretty.
Third garden flower

I love them they look great!! I need to do some I am down sizing in my garden also .

OMGosh these are gorgous! I love them all. Slow you are AMAZING! And a role model for us all. (I wanna be slow when I grow up!)

How far is Texarkana from Austin? Would it be doable driving back to Iowa to stop in for a tour? I don't care what you'd charge as I would love to see all your work in person!

becky

Thank y'all. NANA - this is killing me to do away w/some of my flower beds - every spring, if I can't dig a new bed, I feel deprived. There's something about digging/planting a new one or enlarging an existing one that is sooooooo satisfying. My consolation is that it w/give more time to mosaics. I can still sit and do that, thankfully. BECK: CHARGE!!!!!????? Are you kidding. Google a route and PLEASE come. I w/love to have you. Austin is about 7 hrs. from here, I think. I have plenty of room, so plan to spend the night or a couple w/me. We'll have a wonderful time. Most of my house mosaics are on display now where I sell, so I have nails exposed where they used to hang. Need to either pull and patch them, or make new things to hang. However, Jeannie has put me to work for more things in the shop, so guess hanging more here isn't an option. We'll make a visit to the nursery see what's left. They're selling pretty fast now, and I expect more in the spring when there's more customer traffic. PLEASE PLAN TO COME.

Slow! Great Job!!!! I keep thinking...after each one is revealed...THIS is the best yet!!!ha! There is just no holding a candle to you!!! These turned out so lovely and inspirational! I am dying to start my fairey wings, but alas, I have sooo much planting to do!!! I just can't seem to stop myself!ha! I'm halfway thru adding 100ft of new garden beds! So your stuff is selling in a nursery? How Cool!!!

Have been missing you soooooooo much, girlie. Fairey wings????? You haven't mentioned them. Heck - you haven't mentioned ANYTHING for months. Glad you're back. Planting?????? You planting winter stuff? 100 ft - WOW. I'm gonna take out about that much. Just can't bend and get down and dig and weed anymore, and I LOVE to weed. Yep - it's a blessing to have a local outlet for my stuff. It's been a long time coming - don't have to travel out of town to sell now.