Sausage Dog

Would you say this dachshund is a little too long? I ask this question because one or two people seem to think he is. I wonder why this species of dog is shaped like a sausage? I am guessing it is to squeeze into tight holes? One friend mentioned recently that they are bred for hunting badgers, but I don't believe they would be a match for a badger, at least not the sausage dogs iv'e come across in the past. Most of them seem to prefer being carried by large ladies in fur coats rather than walking. Maybe it is beagle dogs that go after badgers? I could believe that at least, they seem to be built a bit tougher. But what is the purpose of a sausage dog then? Are they relatives of the beagle that can squeeze into tighter holes for smaller creatures such as mice or snakes? If you have any knowledge about these strange creatures please comment below, it would be good to know.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/482705471/sausage-dog-sculpture-dachshund-figurine

Hedgehog gets a Afro

I was attempting to sculpt a Hedgehog recently but had terrible trouble trying to spike up his coat. I tried to cover the animals back in cocktail sticks then mould the epoxy putty over them, but it became far to tedious and the putty was sticking to my fingers. It soon became obvious that I would have to abandon the spikey coat and go for a Afro cut instead.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/466845304/purple-hedgehog-animal-sculpture

Some Owls

I thought seeing as it has been a while since I added anything to this blog, I would just post a nice photo of a few Owls that I have made over the past months

Percy the Pink Sheep

Been working on a few different critters since the start of the year, and Percy above is the latest to emerge from the work table. He looks slightly bulbous because his interior consists of a polystyrene ball. But he is a good solid chap as clay and epoxy putty surround his soft insides.

Peter the Elephant

It's been awhile since I added anything to this blog, but as a new years resolution I have decided to try and pay a bit more attention to it. I will look at this as a diary of sorts from now on ... but anyway since my last post I think there has been a big improvement in my animal sculptures. How do you like my new Elephant and his Oxpecker friends ? .. I call him Peter.

I am very happy to announce that on the 12th day of January 2015 a new online shop with some of my creations was opened! Please take a moment to take a peek, by clicking on the link below.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/AlanJamesdesigns

Seeing Spots

A lot of people have been asking me lately why I have turned my attention to sculpting Animals rather than painting stones . Well firstly let me say that I am still painting stones, and have never stopped. In fact I have a beautiful half finished rock sitting on the work top in front of me as I write this, not to mention a few pebbles waiting to be glazed . The fact is a few years back I had a sudden urge to try and create a small animal sculpture for my girlfriends daughter. It was a very clumsy attempt at a Sheep, with a sausage shaped body and bulbous eyes. The most amazing thing was that it actually stood squarely on its four feet!  I was so proud of myself that I painted it Green and called him the GREEP .

I had so much fun making that first little sheep/greep that whenever I found myself seeing spots from too much stone work, I would take out the clay and begin fashioning another simple animal. Now two years on and numerous animal commissions later my enthusiasm for sculpting is continuing to increase. However, the sculpting material needs time to harden .......... therefore I have no option but to continue seeing spots !