Trying Something New

A few months ago I had a hankering to try my hand at making something out of clay.  It wasn't so much as I wanted to actually go into it -- more like see how it is and find out if I liked it. 

Yeah -- that's exactly what I said when I bought my first little bag of beads!

So as I usually do, I did my research since I didn't want to spend too much on something that I'd give up after a month.  The polymer clays available here were not quite what I had in mind budget wise -- we get them from the US and I wasn't too keen on buying a whole batch of them since I was just starting out.  I trolled the web and found an art supply shop that sold a lot of the materials I only read about (since the whole lot of them are imported from other countries) and decided to pay a visit to one of their branches.

Of course it took me weeks to FINALLY get to one of their shops and only because I stumbled upon it when I went on my usual bead-buying spree.  I had to laugh because it was just a block away from where I get my beads and gemstones! And there I was, all this time, trying to figure out a way to sneak a trip to it in my schedule.  Thank you Google maps for showing me the way. LOL.

The ladies at the shop were kind enough to steer me in the right direction.  I had asked for an air-drying clay that required no baking or kiln-firing, one that was suited to a beginner who just wanted to get her hands on some clay and squish something out of it. They suggested a terra cotta colored material akin to mud - they told me it hardened when exposed to air and I could paint it after if I liked.  I did like the price though --- less than a dollar for a kilo! And they even showed me some inexpensive beginner clay tools.

So here it is, my first little clay creation. 

It's a little cracked around the edges and you can see my fingerprints on it! LOL.  It's not quite dry yet but the color did change from a muddy brown to something close to grey.  I think it will lighten up some more when it's fully dry.  I don't even know how I'm going to paint this one. I guess I should've started with a simpler figure to mold.

Here's another look,  sitting amidst my pile of bead containers

 
I did have fun making this little one.  A great part of the enjoyment came from the fact that my youngest son joined me and made his own little clay creation -- a dinosaur who somehow resembled Snoopy the dog.  Good thing this stuff is inexpensive -- he wants me to get him his own batch!

What do you think? Should I keep practicing and eventually go for the more expensive clay?