Finished Umbel Flower

After hours of tedium in the building process and lots of prayers to the kiln gods during the firing process, this Umbel Flower is finally finished. Inspired by a dandelion flowerhead that had gone to seed the flower has high temperature wire for the stalks that attach to the core of the flower and then a thinner gauge high temperature wire on the tips of each of the stalks. I wanted to have a stem and base so that the flower would display upright. Luckily, my studio neighbor sculptor Jamie Abbott was up to the task and he forged me a stem from steel rod which was welded onto a base. I swore I was only going to make one of these but now that I see it finished, I might just have to make a few more!

Come see this piece in person during Open Studios this October!