How to blacken a Myxie in 3 hrs or less...

It wasn’t my intention to make the clay faerie into charcoal, but that’s what happens when you don’t set a timer and then you leave.

Myxies are cute little faerie-like creatures that I have created. They are small with big pointed ears and large black eyes.

I was so very excited when I found a new clay to make my sculpting easier. I’ve always used self-hardening clay but it’s not as good for small details. The new clay would have to be baked, 30 minutes per inch thick. Myxies are only about a 3^rd of an inch thick so they would only take about 20 minutes. I finished a few Myxies, and was pleased with how cute they had turned out. Now time to bake them.

Placing them in the oven, I set the knob to 275 degrees, and then sat down to watch a movie while I waited.

Then I forgot them... which is not uncommon with me. I have to leave post-it notes all over my house to remind me of things I need to do, but I figured it was only 20 minutes, who could forget in that short of time.

After the movie was over I was hungry, so off I go to Kystals for some little burgers. When I came back home I smelt burning. Then I remembered! I rushed over to the oven and jerked open the door. My little clay Myxies were now little burn victims. The 20 minutes I was to cook them had turned into 3 hrs, and the consequences were graphic. The larger Myxies had crumbled under the weight of their charred limbs. Only one, the smallest, had stayed intact. An even black covered her entire body and I thought “I might be able to use her still”.

As I mourned for the Myxies that were lost I got to work on the survivor, making her silver wings and giving her hair. Even though, In the end the black Myxie turned out very dark yet cute, now I always set a timer while baking my sculptures, and I don’t leave the house.

The Creation of a Myxie

I decided to start sculpting. I made some marionettes a while back, and thought I’d try my luck with figurines.

First I start with the head. The head, in my opinion is the most difficult (with exception to the hands). It has the most detail and is essential to making any sculpture complete, unless you’re sculpting the Nike of Samothrace.

I thought a cute, original feature to the figurines would be to make very large ears. In many of my sketches I give my characters large ears. I think it’s cute and unique (I could be wrong, probably not though :P ) Then after the head is done the body is next. I make the limbs and slap those suckers on in whatever position suits me at the moment. Then comes the hands. Grrrr I’ve always had issues with hands, as a child whenever I drew a picture I would have the person with their hands behind them or in their pockets. Yes, I know it’s kinda like cheating, but all artists do it, why do you think the Venus De Milo had no arms? Because they fell off? No he just couldn’t sculpt hands.

After numerous trial and error and plenty of profanity, the hands are on and its time to paint. Painting on canvas can be a chore for me, but painting figurines is right up my alley. Now it is painted and I’ve given it hair and colorful plastic wings... I LOVE COLORING!

All that is left is to name my creation. Well since the sculpture is obviously a pixie it needs to be along those lines. Also since my artwork collection is called Mystic Reflections, I figured something to connect it to that would be good. So I came up with Myxies. See its Mystic plus pixie, its perfect! :)