Hi eval!

What a great idea! Made me laugh out loud..at work even!

I'd love to see the final product!

Keep up the good work.
MMW

Neat idea Eva, love the fish.

Jilly

You hear that music in the background? Da nuh da nuh da nuh.
Very unique fish.
Paws

Eva,
Utterly amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know there is no shouting here, but gosh you have gone and done it again!!!!!
I am fanning a fin or two at you!
I love to see the playfulness in your designs. Your other sand cast figures are great too!
Dena

Eva,

Food chain fish! I love to see the things you dream up! They always seem to embody such a sense of humor and tell a story.

Your fish remind me of a childrens' song called, "Octopus" that starts with a little fish being eaten by an octopus, and then the octopus is gobbled by a bigger sea creature, etc. until the end where a humongous whale burps and says, "Pardon me."

Eva, that will make a wonderful totem. You are an amazing folk artist.

Deb

Eva, Your fish are GREAT! Love 'em and can't wait for the final pics of them on the totem. :0)carol

Could you explain what sand casting is and how to do it?
Love your fish.

Hi, Everyone,

Thanks for the kind comments about my fish. Sorry I haven't been around much lately...nose to the old work grindstone.

Flyonawall (cool name!) -- Yes, I'd be glad to explain sand casting and to tell you a little about how I do it. In sand casting, you're actually making a mold in the sand and then pouring your mix into that mold.

A fish is an easy creature to start out with. All you need to do is draw a fish shape with your finger on the top of some damp, compacted sand in a container (a plastic dishpan, kitty litter pan, mortar pan, etc.), and then scoop out sand inside your outline to make the contours of your fish. At this point, you can make imprints (your thumb print is good for fish scales) or add embellishments such as seashells, half marbles, costume jewelry, etc. by pressing them into the sand face down (the side you want to appear on your casting in the sand), leaving part of the item sticking out of the sand so it will become embedded in your mix.

Keep your sand mold moist by misting it with a spray bottle if it starts drying out. Then you're ready to mix a batch of cement or 'tufa. I've been using 1 part Portland cement to 2 parts sand with a pinch of fibers, because I like how much detail I get with that mix. But a lot of different mixes would work. I make my mix more on the wet side, somewhere between packable and pourable. Apply your mix carefully in handfuls to avoid disturbing your designs in the sand. Leave for about 18 hours or so, and then demold.

Since it's been so hot here, I work outside in a shaded area. I cover my sand mold containers with pieces of plywood and then plastic bags weighted down with bricks. The sand in the containers is very moist, so I don't worry about adding any more water until I demold. After demolding and hosing off the casting, I put it back in the sand mold container and spray it and the sand with water. On very hot days, I sometimes cover the casting in the container with wet towels or t-shirts. I leave the casting this way for a few days.

In my Webshots album, you can see pictures of some of the sand molds that I've made. If you have any other questions that I can help with, please ask away.

Eva

Here is a link that might be useful: Sand Molds

Eva-

Great work and great imagination! I have to say that your food chain is the best yet IMHO. I can't wait to see what comes next.

Have you ever thought about teaching classes in sandcasting? You'd be a natural! You've already taught me alot about sandcasting through your posted instructions.

Thanks for the photos, they really help me to understand the process.

Jo

Thanks so much for all the detailed instructions. It sounds like fun and easy. I'm gonna go look at your other creations and get some ideas and try that.
Bree