This visual journal documents my planning process. Research of different poisons I could use for inspiration and a rough plan of what I'd like to accomplish is on the left page. On the right, is my plan and how I will convey my topic through symbolic choices.

I started to build the tree from the bottom up. I formed the branches by rolling one edge of a coil more than another, and twisting them after wetting them into different shapes. I opted to attach the branches later on, once the clay was leather hard so they wouldn't droop.

I let the clay dry to a leather hard consistency overnight, so on day 2 I could begin connecting the branches. However, the branches were hefty, so it didn’t want to stay on. So, I propped them up with spare clay tools. I made smaller branches to dry out at attach the next day, so it would look more tree-like.

I let it continue to dry out the night before. I attached the spare limbs I made on day 2 to the now, even drier clay.

I did not let the clay dry out any more overnight. I added texture with a needle tool, and used a brush to make sure the rough texture was more defined. I used a loop tool to carve the ground, to make a smooth but rigid texture. I added moss by slipping and scoring in X motions for more texture and added smooth rocks to contrast the roughness surrounding them. I made the person and left it to dry out over the weekend so it could be fired. While it fired, I picked out the yarn, beads, and buttons I’d like to use.

I opted to glaze because i wanted a gloss finish. So, i chose a dark brown gloss glaze and painted 2 coats. Then, I blotched on one coast of a chocolate underglaze with a toothbrush to add some visual contrast. 

I glazed the bottom with a warm gray gloss glaze along with a darker shade of that for the rocks, and an olive-green gloss for the moss. I applied 2 thin coats of clear glaze because of the underglaze I used previously.

What the final fire looked like

Plans for the way I would thread the beads and buttons on to the yarn

I chose yarn due to my familiarity with it, and the texture it would show. I started with tying the yarn to a branch, and weaving it around the others. I would do this multiple times, and leave the excess yarn hanging off the ends of branches so I could thread the beads and buttons. I would wet the edge of the yarn, and hand thread them.

I continued what I started the previous day, but more so the beading.  I threaded individual yarn strands and tied them on, and small segments of beads to make the tree look fuller. I wrapped the maroon yarn around the person.