Polymer clay hummingbird cane

[edstreet]

Yesterday we finished a whopping 7.6 pound clay cane. It's a hummingbird and it has been reduced from 7 inches wide to 1/2 inch.

It is not easy and highly intimidating, exhausting and strenuous to throw nearly 8 pound block of clay around for a few hours and taking painstakingly detailed steps to ensure proper handling, form and method to yield an image that is not distorted. Yes many have created YouTube videos on cane making and unable to master this part. It's not easy and often taken for granted. This is something I have been working on for a number of years now.


But I digress. The cane will be used on polymer clay pen blanks and I am very happy with the end results. There are a few added features I have included in the cane that sets this apart from other canes.

Early stages and concept work.

Showing the size before packing.

Fully packed wth translucent, which will be invisible after Toni works it on a pen blank and bakes it.

Packing for the reduction phase. I do a 'weird' reducing and only one person knows it.

Close to a loaf of bread size . It's big and intimidating here. Easy for things to go sideways.

Alas the finial size is reached!!

 

[Cwalker935]

Hey where can I get one of those those canes to do a pen for the poly clay contest? :biggrin: Just kidding, not hating (you raised a legitimate question). :biggrin: Thanks for sharing that, it gives me a better understanding of how the detailed canes are made. Keeping everything uniform and visualizing how it will appear in its final form as you reduce the cane must require a lot of skill and practice. Very impressive.

 

[edstreet]

Try here. https://www.etsy.com/listing/489968080/hummingbird-polymer-clay-cane?ref=shop_home_active_1

 

[Brian G]

Thanks for showing the photos, Ed. They give a great perspective on how large the construction is before reduction.

 

[Jdubfudge]

Your stuff on Etsy is amazing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[magpens]

It is instructive to learn a little about the making of a cane.

Thank you for presenting this series of pictures with comments !!

 

[edstreet]

It is indeed. Many questions like "is that painted on?" Or the like is often ask. One thing I do find prevalent is lack of information as to what clay is or how it's used.


The etsy store is one that was reopened recently and we have been working to restock it with impossible to get items. It goes along with www.claypenblanks.com to.

The swallowtails, the purple and yellow was large canes to. The purple was a monster.

Here is the yellow.

Some other hummingbird canes that have been made in the past.

And finally some samples of the hummer in action.

I am somewhat curious to know what images everyone would like to see made. It is possible that we can make it.

 

[Rounder]

It is indeed. Many questions like "is that painted on?" Or the like is often ask. One thing I do find prevalent is lack of information as to what clay is or how it's used.


The etsy store is one that was reopened recently and we have been working to restock it with impossible to get items. It goes along with www.claypenblanks.com to.

The swallowtails, the purple and yellow was large canes to. The purple was a monster.

Here is the yellow.

Some other hummingbird canes that have been made in the past.

And finally some samples of the hummer in action.

I am somewhat curious to know what images everyone would like to see made. It is possible that we can make it.

I requested a Flamingo from Toni and she did a fabulous job on it. It is amazing what you guys do with this medium!!!

 

[edstreet]

I requested a Flamingo from Toni and she did a fabulous job on it. It is amazing what you guys do with this medium!!!

I remember that one.