I don't know about painting your new sphere but I think it's fantastic. Good job. Bet those ice cubes would enhance your "freeform" sphere too.

Laura..you are one clever girl...I don't have any suggestions, just wanted to say how incredible I think your sphere is. Adele

Laura, you have a great imagination, I don't think you will have any problem painting your sphere, can't wait to see it :-)
bonnie

Laura, no suggestions, I am speechless!!!!! Amazing!

Did you work on other fields, clay, pottery, painting... etc ?

You are such a great artist!

Andrea

Wow Laura, that's great. Are the wedges lemons? Look for plastic food packaging for your squares. Ikea has some interesting ice cube trays. I save the plastic containers from candy and cupcakes for molds. They have interesting ridges and markings. Billie

Very well done! When I look at it I love the monochromaticness of the sphere, it emphasises the textures. I would stick with one 'base' color & then maybe highlight the textures a shade or two darker or lighter & incorporate the same colors into the base that holds the sphere.Possibly some metallic paints. This has the look of a very unique piece of art.I think you should make a couple and play around with different looks.

Sincerely,
Aud

Wow. I love the textures on this! What an artist you are. I see I am not alone in thinking this.

Thanks for the great feedback. Those IKEA ice cube trays look great. No IKEA store in this state but..... the internet seems to have lots to offer.

Audacitie, I think you are right about the colors. Good idea about incorporating the same shades in the base.. first I should decide on a base that works for these things. Perching them on the columns looks good for a picture but I doubt it would be secure enough for the long term.
I can't quite face up to your suggestion about making another texture ball and trying various color schemes. It is a great idea but maybe later when our temperature goes below 95 for a few days!

It is great fun to have people say I am an artist, but this concrete stuff is my first "artistic success". I spent 33 years teaching 5th grade and loving it. My classroom was "self contained" meaning I taught the same kids all day... all their subjects... including art. I always felt talented at encouraging 10 year olds to create wonderful things. If I was still teaching, there would be giant concrete spheres all over the classroom with children designing and creating them. They would have a world of great ideas! Still, retirement has its own appeal. I am enjoying playing with so many things I didn't have time for before!
Laura

Absolutely Wonderful! Your kids would be proud!

Laura... you're on a 'roll'! lol Get it?? lol

I am to your wonderful creativity. You shouldn't be asking questions in here... you should be TEACHING in here! I am learning from you all the time!

I AM crazy about your new sphere!

Marly

When the upcoming holidays roll around, have friends and family save the plastic inserts from boxes of candy. I'm as bad as the kids, more excited about the box and packaging than the gift. Billie

I feel your pain about making more spheres to play around with! If you have photoshop or some other photo editing computer program maybe you could play around with colors on your computer? It might be a way to eliminate possibilities that you don't like.

At any rate, you inspired me to go in the basement & dig around in my 'mold' box. I found some things I had forgotten-like dolphin ice cube trays (yes in flexible plastic!) & some plastic candy molds of leaves & acorns.

Now I have to start doing something once the temps cool down a bit.

Aud

How beautiful, you are very creative and artistic! How did you put it together? How are the ice trays used? Please do share. :)
Thank you,
marci

Laura, I was making some leaf castings today and remembered that you could make a packed, damp sand mold for the squares. They used this method for pouring metal castings. Make a four sided frame with 2 X 4's and pack the inside with damp sand. Tamp the sand hard with a piece of wood. Then take something square to make indentation in the sand. Billie

Thanks for the ideas about molds and using the computer to try out some color schemes before I paint. I will do that! Also loved the damp sand method suggested for casting shapes. I will try that too.
Laura

Laura, I never used this method, but you can try to cut it out with a kind of cookie cutter before it hardens.

Andrea

Does anyone have any pointers on making concrete spheres? I really want to make a large one for a fountain like the one on littleandlewis.com. I started with a smaller one with a small rubber ball and when I put the concrete on it was cold and the ball lost some of its air and just ended up cracking. Any suggestions? I would have loved to have seen laura's but the picture is gone now =-(

This site below has tons of exellent advice on making anything with concrete and hypertufa. The link goes straight to advice on making garden spheres.. good luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: Artistic garden

Hi andreae, The link above that tamahlee has posted for you has some very good instruction. Here's how I did mine:
My DH and I have been working on three (3 coat)Spheres, so far so good although we did have a problem with the last one getting some cracks with the first coat - well lets start from the beginning. Blow up you ball(don't under or over inflate to much) place the ball on/in a very large (weighted) bowl/bucket, we used a 14"-16" plastic wallyworld beach ball. DH didn't think the crete would stick on this shiny of a surface so we put strips of fiber mesh tape on first this has a some what sticky surface (the proper way is to put your mud on first then press in the fiber mesh). I then added layer of "Fortified Thin-set Mortar"-this stuff is very sticky so if you plan to use this stuff use an old metal spatula to smooth it on. Then while still very tacky take your gloved hand and smooth the surface, a small foam paint brush works great also. Cover the ball with plastic wrap so it don't dry to quickly, as this will cause cracks. When it starts to look/feel dry lightly mist. Important keep damp. After 1-or 2 days you can carefully turn the ball over then do the other end. My DH thought for strength for the 2nd. coat to use a coat of Portland so this is what we did. Third coat the Thin-Set Mortar. We did plan to make only one, but the beach ball still in good shape, we made 3 lol. One for a fountain on bird-bath stand, one a mister/light on a short stand and the third one will be just a Sphere on a short post or basin. Still have some wet sanding to do on all three then must decide to paint, stain or leave as is. Even though the last one cracked some on the first upper half I was able to save by adding a light coat of the Thin-Set mix before this first (damaged)coat was completely dry. Wendy

Hello

I AM an artist and i make concrete ice cubes occationally...glad to know of someone else who does this too....my website is coalodoniaprojects.com love to hear from you. Jonathan - south wales UK

Interesting, Jonathan - but now what??? Without any instructions, links, or explanations - I just walk away not knowing anything.