Would it work to paint the inside some subtle shade that you can progressively darken til you are satisfied? That way you could judge whether you liked the painted inside or the unpainted outside best and then paint the outside if you wanted.

At first glance I want your shell piece colored but that is such a personal decision.

I am having the same question about a sphere I made last summer. At first I did not want any color on it but now it seems to be needing more "oomph" .
I can't quite imagine what color/colors to add though.
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Laura

Laura: I love that sphere! It is just stunning! The textures provide lots of visual interest in themselves. For the most part I don't really care for the look of bare concrete. The only thing is that sometimes when you paint it the finish takes away from the design. I would love to see your sphere painted a deep dark purple and then the shapes highlighted with lighter shade..maybe some irridescence. But then I am totally addicted to the color purple and much like a crow am attracted to anything that is shiny or glitters..grins.

I too don't care much for the rawness of concrete. Because of some long standing health issues, I always want to be very careful of chemicals, solvents, and dusts. So latex paints are attractive in that they are more or less stable. In my opinion, however, neither the shell pot nor the sphere would be enhanced by a flat, painty surface. Hope you can try some stains and share your esperience. These projects deserve finishes that have depth.

If I can get out in the garage early enough tommorrow, it is supposed to be cool enough to muddle with my tuffa. By mid morning lately it's been too darn hot!

David

Laurie and Laura,
I am not a fan of grey concrete color either. A friend of mine did a clay piece, which I did not find interesting at all in the dry clay stage, however this is a piece she chose to have bronzed, and the effect of making it a color added depth and interest way beyond it's first stage. Often with pieces that have lines, patterns, textures I think adding a deep color into the recessed areas will add instant interest, then you can play with the rest. Laurie, even a light wood stain would flow into the crevices and highlight the form and added interest on top. Laura same for your globe, which by the way I have looked at many times. Starting with the ingrained texture lines and moving away from the globe for a second and third look will give you an idea of colors that will pique the interest of the onlooker. Because there is so much texture I would think fewer colors would be better.
Just my thoughts,
Dena

Hi peeps! Well I took the plunge and planted the shell pot! Figured if I didn't like it I could always make another one...grins. I had fun painting this baby..mostly fingerpainted. Why oh why can I never get the reality to match the vision in my head?? Oh well, can always stick it in the hosta bed, although I seem to be hiding a lot of stuff there lately.
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Laurie

Boy oh boy, you have transformed your pot. It looks like an entirely different piece and the paint has really made the shell motif important. I tend to like the old, carved stone look but you've made me re-think how I might approach future project designs.

What kind of paint did you use to get that metallic look? I can just see some of that peeking out of the center of a globe, or a "polished" inset in a stone-like pot.

Many thanks.

David

David: I am pleased that you like it! I live out in the country and I don't always have anyone around that can "critique" what I do. It is nice to get opinions, good or bad, although I hope that the bad will be presently gently.
I painted the pot with the Folk Art metallic paints that I have. Started with a watered down wash of Emerald green and then added Blue Sapphire and Rose. Just used my fingers to blend them. This way I ended up with shades of all three colors and tones of purple where they blended. I was actually trying for a lighter tone over all but this is what I got.
The metallic paints seem to hold up quite well. I have had some items outside for almost six months and there has been no deterioration in either intensity or color. I don't think that I will take the chance of leaving them out over the winter. If the color does fade I can always do them again...maybe change the scheme.
Laurie

Laurie, One of the great things about paint is you can repaint if you don't like it. Billie

Well personally I like it. Definitely do not hide it. It's beautiful the way it is. If you plant in it just make sure that you put a plant that has colors that will look nice with it. Maybe sit different plants in it to see what looks the best before actually planting them in.