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Jessie and I went on a field trip. Why should kids have all the fun?
I bought some raw honey at the farm, Jessie made a plein air painting as practice to get ready for an event that’s coming up in a few weeks in Wisconsin, and our new friend Christina introduced us to pigs, sheep, chickens – and alpacas!
- You can order honey and some delightful notecards and stickers featuring the animals we just met – and learn about the Blue Dasher Farm’s research projects – at BlueDasher.farm
- To see Jessie’s latest paintings, find the galleries where she shows her work, and take a look at her busy upcoming schedule click here.
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Jessie painted the ram in the video as practice for her participation as a “Juried competition class artist” at the Paint Grand Traverse plein air event in Traverse City, MI, beginning on June 18. She’s listed as a “Featured Artist” on this page.
And when she got home she painted this Black Cochin rooster than we met on the farm:
I can’t promise that I’ll sculpt that beautiful alpaca this summer, but I might be able to talk myself into it – it would be a lot more fun than some of the chores around here (like sealing the basement). What a delightful animal!
(I should probably wipe the alpaca slobber off my camera lens, though… 🙂 )
If I do find the time, it could be sculpted in wet clay and then turned into a hollow paper mache sculpture, like the African mask I made.
Or she could be made with the technique that uses a flat pattern inside, like the one in this video and in my “Make Animal Sculptures” book. Then the rounded forms would be filled out with crumpled paper or foil.
Or I could sculpt it in clay and then turn it into one of the 3D sculpting patterns like the ones on this page.
Let me know which way you’d vote for me to do it in the comment section below. 🙂
I really enjoyed this segment you shared of the Blue Dasher farm. You are more confident in presenting these days. I love this site very much. Lots of luck to your daughter. Thanks once again for your presentations. From Down Under.
Hi Jonni
Love to keep in touch. Winter is almost upon us on the East Coast of Australia but we have been blessed with the most glorious sunny cloudless days. Don’t know what we’ve done to deserve such pleasure. We’re on property and have a few hundred steers who also live the best life and a few have weird names like Curly and Pizza (Meat lovers of course).
Gail
That was great ! Thank you for sharing the pictures and dialogue. I was a little surprised that the Alpaca spat. They are so gentle. I took a friend to an Alpaca show (the judging kind) in San Diego. Great fun. One of the breeders said not to ever get just one Alpaca. They are very social and will not do well without a pal. I’m looking forward to the sculpture. Ps, where do I get your online classes?
Hi Kay. The alpaca didn’t spit – she just slobbered a little while she was trying to see if my camera would be good to eat. Christina said that the black alpaca was shy, but she would come up to you if the white one told her it was OK. They seem to be very intelligent.
I don’t actually have any online classes – just the tutorials on this website, my books, and my patterns. But thanks for asking! 🙂
Hi Jonni. I loved your video. Yes every once in a while you need to get out.
I love the clay 3D idea. That would really show her off. Always look forward to your texts. Good luck. Judy
Hi Jonni. I loved your video. Yes every once in a while you need to get out.
I love the clay 3D idea. That would really show her off.
Thank you for sending me the links. I always look forward to your text.. Good luck. Judy in sunny Arizona.
Thanks, Judy! 🙂
What a lovely outing for you and your daughter!