Big Bang Creations - new Yipwan Drum Mug pg 86

Thanks you guys!

As you all know, Hank is having a show over at his Gallery that opens on Halloween night. The show is based around Tiki and the Tarot. All of the artists that are participating were each drawn a card from the main deck of the tarot. I was drawn the Tower...not a rainbow, and kitties, happy feel good kind of a card...in fact, if you pull this card your life is going to change, and not for the better.

Copied from the Internet :down:

• Introduction to the Tower Tarot Card Meanings:
  One look at this card and we know something is afoot, and it doesn't look good. The Tower Tarot card is all about change; usually very sudden, not-so-pleasant change.

Changes in life are typically gradual. This allows our minds to accommodate change, or for us to become accustomed to different shifts in our lives. When a sudden, cataclysmic change occurs, such as what the Tower card suggests, it is an anomaly of sorts. Such a drastic upheaval means the Universe trying to wake us up from our zombie-like state. This wake-up call comes in the form of an event that blind-sides us and shakes us out of the fog we've been living in.

When we are so entrenched in one single way of life, or one inflexible way of thinking we sometimes need to get a little rattled to get out of our daze. This is exactly what the Tower card represents. It's as if we we've been comatose and the Universe comes along with those electric paddles to jolt our hearts back to life.

Falling: Falling is a befitting way to convey absolute loss of control. There is no railing and no net to save us. When we're free-falling there's not one thing that can be done but fall and hope for the best when we land. Most decks depict two figures falling: A male who represents conscious thought/action, and a female who represents unconscious thought/action. In this case, this is a symbol of duality and opposition. The two figures represent conflicting thoughts and actions, inevitably leading to an eruption. This concept is at the crux of all the Tower Tarot card meanings.
.

Fire: Fire is typically an aggressive symbol. It obliterates everything in its path, leaving little semblance of the original landscape. This is further indication that the Tower card means serious business, and when change comes it will significantly alter the landscape of our lives. It's also worth mentioning that the fire in the card burns from the top down. This indicates that change is long overdue, and that we may be "at the top of our game" when a shift comes.

Lightening: Lightening has long been seen by ancient peoples to be a direct signal from God. Some Native Americans thought lightening was brought about by a wink from the Thunderbird who was considered the Great Creator. In India, lightening was considered a flash from the third eye of Shiva, symbolizing the light of truth and enlightenment. Lightening is a powerful message of truth emanating from our highest source forcing us to conduct a reality check. *

Alrighty then...the below mug is my take on this whole dealio...this mug below is still greenware and needs a couple of firings yet...and yes, there will be real fire on the top of the Tower area!!

Both the drum shape and the Tower decoration were influenced heavily from PNG.

Sorry this post is so image heavy...us 3D dudes are kinda stuck that way...

Thanks for looking.

SAI-BABA!
you knocked this one out of the ballpark
both for execution
and originality!
This TIKOT tarot show is gonna be AWESOME!
:)

Those falling guys creep me out!

one's a girl,Bill!
read the text!
:)

Full-on bitchin'!!!!!

Beautiful work as always, Babs!

OMG! PNG! killer babs!!!!!!!!! love the lil critters!

Babs, very cool! amazing!!!

Amy

This is really wonderfull Babs! I knew you were gonna do something special. See, that deadline wasn't so bad. Sometimes short deadlines force an artist distill their work to basic elements. :wink:

Hey thanks peoples :)

Hank - heh?

Anyway, lot's happening in the Shop lately...and, only one more day to go at the 9 to 5, and I'm a free man - YAY! It's going to be great having the extra time I need in the studio, and to also be around the grand kiddies more. I'm really looking forward to it.

First up - Mr. Marty Lush gets the spotlight this week...this first mug of his turned out extremely well in my opinion. Excellent! The way these soft curves on this mug work together really give this Moai Mug a real Modern feel. I really like it allot...Good Job Marty! I think this guy is going to be making his way over to a shelf at the Tonga Hut.

Next, is this Chop Drum Mug that I did at the Chop a few weeks ago. I have made a mold of a blank hour glass shape so that I can use them as little canvases to build up on, just like I built up on this one. It saves me a little time over rolling up slabs into this shape...not much, but some. It is going to be fun seeing how I can manipulate this shape down the road. Anyway, I think this one is my favorite Drum Mugs that I have done thus far. I used 8 different glazes to get this final look. Again, sorry about all the images...I have to figure out a better way to show my work in the round than having to post a zillion pictures

Thanks for looking all...

just Fabulous!!! I'm very impress about your work!
I love the movement of the "sea creature" :) really feel like he swim.
and your glaze.. always impress me. BRAVO!
Hug. Baï

All hail Babalu!

And a great looking mug by Marty Lush.

Great job Babs!

And marty, very impressive!

Love Love Love that chop drum mug! Outtasight!
And can't wait to see Marty drinking out
of his at Tonga Hut!

Good evening all...

My first few days of freedom in the studio have been GREAT! Lot's of work happening. If you on my list for something, all is moving much quicker now...just hold on a little bit more :)

Here is a new Yipwan bowl that I finished today. It is still greenware and needs to be fired. The little bottom bowl on the underside of the bowl is designed to hold water and dry ice.

Beautious!

Babalu, does the bowl come off the stand? Winter is coming and I know it gets bitter cold in Lemon Grove, you could fill the bottom chamber with Sterno or a tealight candle to keep your cocoa or hot buttered rum warm :)

your work is alway amazing, I wish you the best on your new life, may the inspiration and projects be with you even more than before :)

THAT IS ONE COOL YIPWAN BOWL ,BABS!
:)

Is it just me or does that remind others of Renewal at The Carousel...

Awesome, awesome work!! You are the master of Drum Mugs for sure.

GROG!!!

MD - good idea brother, but nope, that bowl will be glazed to the stand. Dry ice, bottom chamber...

Clarita - Hi Lady! :)

Kinny - are we going to see you on Halloween?

Mango - That looks like a really fun show!...hey, thanks for the comp.

Ok, on with stuffs...

I've done a prototype sketch in clay of my version of the Mauna Loa Drum mug. I would like to possibly do a small production of a Mauna Loa Drum mug run down the road sometime, however, I won't be able to cast this design...too many undercuts and such. I can cast a version, but it won't be this one. Only having one picture to look at left quite a bit open for my own interpretation on it...I may do a few other prototypes just to get the look down that I want...hummm...

thanks for stopping in and taking a peek.

dang Boy!
lovin all the diff angled shots!
and thanks for starting that Drum thread-lots of coolness on there!
no halloween,Sai Baba..
gonna be 2 miles from home that evening...
but we'll see you soon!

Keep up the Clay Craziness!

dang Boy!
lovin all the diff angled shots!
and thanks for starting that Drum thread-lots of coolness on there!
no halloween,Sai Baba..
gonna be 2 miles from home that evening...
but we'll see you soon!

Keep up the Clay Craziness!

Babs, that is really amazing. Beautiful work, love all the textures, the bird, the mask, ropes, everything! You are certainly on a roll! I was just saying that I need to get back down there and paint/glaze my wahine pig! Soonest possible! XO, Kiki v.

On 2009-10-21 13:21, Babalu wrote:
I won't be able to cast this design...too many undercuts and such.

Oh Grasshopper...you disappoint me.
A killer design nontheless!

Bowie

Kinny - I'm working, I'm working....

KiKi - Your welcome down anytime...your piggie is ready to glaze.

Master Dave - Don't worry brother, I'm just getting my fingers loosened up on a couple of these clay ones first...I'll build the casting master out of oil clay :)

If your on the list for one of these...I'm going to improve the sculpt and change the glaze to something I like better...

Kelly, darlin'...I've still got you on the table...please hold on just a little longer kiddo.

Babalu, All your new pieces are true pieces of art.
Keep up the anmazing work!!

Beautiful!

[ Edited by: mp 2009-10-22 21:59 ]

Thanks MP...I think he turned out purdy good...

:o
WOWSA!

ALL HAIL KING BABALU!!!!

[ Edited by: GROG 2009-10-24 11:50 ]

SWEET!!! Cool alligator glaze!

Wow, Babs! Another stellar piece!

On 2009-10-21 21:41, Babalu wrote:
Kinny - I'm working, I'm working....

KiKi - Your welcome down anytime...your piggie is ready to glaze.

Master Dave - Don't worry brother, I'm just getting my fingers loosened up on a couple of these clay ones first...I'll build the casting master out of oil clay :)

If your on the list for one of these...I'm going to improve the sculpt and change the glaze to something I like better...

OMG! AWESOME!!!!!!

Kelly, darlin'...I've still got you on the table...please hold on just a little longer kiddo.

Does your wallet say Bad Mofo ok it? If not, it should, cuz that's the truth of the matta!

You've drawn the Tower card....

Beware, as the foundation of that comfortable life you have been building up for all these years is about to come to a drastic and sudden end. Yes, tremendous storms will gather. Lightning from the heavens will uncontrollably bear down on you. Your castle of self will burst into flame and crumble. Your shadow of a being will free fall into the depths of the unknown...everything will be lost...

You've drawn the Tower card....

I've decided to hold off on lighting a fire in that top ring. I choose to add smoke in the glaze to indicate a building internal inferno instead. I also choose to do a separate gold luster firing on the lightning bolts, and without testing how the gold will react to the heat of the flame, I would just as soon not chance it...not this close to show time anyway.

What a fun exercise this was for me combining a European theme and iconography with Polynesian culture...Get over to Hank's Gallery on Halloween night you all :)

[ Edited by: Babalu 2009-10-28 17:11 ]

Wow, beautiful and a bit spooky at the same time!

Turned out great! Beautifully glazed blue "sky". Are the figures hanging from string or from wires?

Thanks Murph :wink:

Mike, those are very thin plastic coated wires that I ripped out of the center of this plastic thing-a-mah-jigger I've had laying around here. Plastic and fire don't mix either...

The dog and I are starting to find some kind of a groove together...

Rick, looks like you've reconfigured the Babalu Clay Jam Studio of Ceramic Wonderosity. I see a U-shaped workspace for increased productivity :)

Inspired! Magnificent! Really, I'm a bit blown away at how wonderful and powerful this is!
Congratulations!

Hey MD, I really made kind of an "S" shape with 2 work stations like the one you see in that last post....hey buddy, this is what you have got to look forward to...I wished I could say I starting playing in clay when I was two. :) This kid hung with me and played with clay for about an hour yesterday.

Brad...Man, you made my day...thank you! When I took that Tower down to Hank's I noticed your painting shining like a diamond there on the wall. Stunning...and priced to sell too! Someone is going to walk away with a great deal there for sure.

Still building up enough for a firing...soon.

[ Edited by: Babalu 2009-10-30 18:34 ]

Howdy! It's been a fun week over here - YAY! This post will be a little image heavy...I don't have Photoshop here to group photos with - sorry...

Anyway, Sir B stopped over in the beginning of the week to glaze his Chop Mug...I think it's SMOKING HOT! thumbs up Sir B!! now, git back over here and make somethin' else!

I didn't get a picture of Sir B while he was here, so please allow me to post this generic picture so that you all know who Sir B is...

Squid came down and posted up for a few days over...lot's of fun had :) That man has clay flowing through his veins...I shit you not...Great glazing there Master Squids.

Here is Squid at Liddo's for dinner...It's great, they give you little slices of salami, cheese, and Cheese Nips to munch on before your dinner comes out.

Buzzy showed up today and jumped on a table...the dude is prepping to ROCK some work out...GO BUZZ MASTER, go....

I played catch up mainly this week...

A couple of mugs of this design done for folks...

The first prototype of the Mauna Loa Drum Mug is done...so is the sculpt on the second prototype...going to build one more.

Lot's of stuffs on the table right now...more to come soon.

Thanks for checking out all the goings on over here :)

On 2009-11-06 18:31, Babalu wrote:
Buzzy showed up today and jumped on a table...the dude is prepping to ROCK some work out...GO BUZZ MASTER, go....

Did you get doctor clearance for work, Buzz?

Babs, Bowana and Squidster, great lookin' stuff all around.

The big guns are gettin busy over there!!!
Awesome work! Awesome photos!
Totally freshhhh! Babalu your always takin it to a higher plane!

Babalu's got the beat! Keep on rockin' the drums, more and more perfect every time.

I always look forward to your updates, Babs. Such stunning work!

Holy Glaze Babs!
You kids are "kiln" it over at the Clay Castle!

Bowana-excellent PNG one-off... great colors!

Squids.. those Shrunkles/Tikiyaki Drums/Ohana Boys
are excellent additions to family of individualistic creations...

Babs- those Mauna Loa Drum Mugs are
incredible...
You kids are nailing the old weathered feel
to these gems.....

Sai Baba.... so glad you're able to focus and cut loose!
You Rocketh!
:)

Oh a lot of goodies coming from Babalu's studio, very nice!