BB`s Blog: Ancient Column's of Antiquity ................... an Arts & Craft Topic' Athena' written and presented by Paul Howes

Ancient things from antiquity have always inspired me, i being the dreamer that i have always been.

Here we have an example whereby the loose arms were cemented into square sockets which were a huge part of the shoulders design. Being constructed around 500 BC, well they sure broke off in part's while others completely fell off. However after writting so, i find them in their own supported funtion to be rather mysterious and quite beautiful in the highest degree of my imagination.

And so i just had to make some while in the heat of such a burning summer, which i find is a glowing hot bennifit for my latest scratch build.

i doubt that i will endeaver to build a complete ruined temple but i realise my own measure and therefore at painful 77, i try to stop my imagination making appointments that my frail body cannot keep.

The left leg is exposed from this Pattern, and so i will have to make due with that being the case.

Within the realms of not being totaly correct,

Therefore there will be no right legs exposed like the other real concrete statues of Athena!

i bought a ready made cheap silicone candle mould which was soon converted to my need's by using a sharp blade craft knife that cut through the midle of her back then sliced it's way up from the bottem to top then across the head.This made it flip open easily while removing some real lovely smooth supportive columns for my needs. Clamp's held the two sides of the slit together and kept it nicely in place while casting her up.

Play time mixing up the fine white powder with cold tap water arrived which i have always found it to be excellent high quality fun. Yogurt pots were perfect in use as casting up ladles. And they sort of came in for free.

i mixed it all up to a strong mixture,but one that would flow down into the mould, after i had sprayed the inside with a Mister! You know from a little bottle of sweet centered misty spray that breaks the surfice area of the sillocone mould,and works wonderfully well at avioding air holes to form. A one second fine misty spray then i poured the quick running mixture in.After a few minutes 5,or 6 of them, i strickled off the top of the mould which made it level. My Dear Mrs B, asked me were her best butter knife and spoon had gone? Opp's i replied with a giggle! i must add here and now the top of the silicone mould actually formed the bottem of each casting.

Below there they are, Fred and MayBell,

Who have become inseprable friends inspite of being different in make up and looks.

They have had many adventures over the years,

Since they came my way while arriving in Fiddle Wood, Old Catton, Norwich.

FIDDLE WOOD, where things tend to happen as my fingers type away the hours of darkness!

Well yes things do tend to happen but it is all part of the Art's and Craft's Movement, because 'We', can hopefully learn a little or a lot of something by having such misadventures! Which is finding out why such a thing happened after i'd cast up 20 or so of them. And so i must admit that while carrying a bundle of them that one fell way down until it hit the hard stone floor. But it will not be wasted it will become one of the prop's in a Fred & Maybell ripping yarn! For all throughout my life i have been a story teller. So as an Author i got to lie every day, and every night time as i wrote Sci Fi Fantasy story's,

While under the eye and sound of the Owl of Minerva!