Thamnophis Sculptures

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Hello all,

Have had some of our members ask me both here and on facebook if I have done any work featuring thamnophis... so I figured I would make a quick stop before I am off to feed the baby thams and build a new cage for the tokays in the snakeroom. (yes at 11 at night :P)

I know the one I did for Richard a while back is floating around here and I don't have ready access to pictures of it. But These are two sculptures I did about a month ago for Mr. Scott Felzer.

They are sculpted from polymer clay. The process is done by hand mixing the colors needed to complete the piece, and using some tiny detail tools... well, I just squish clay around for a while and before I know it, it's a reptile! Once sculpted I fire them and give a little shine to the eyes and top of the head. And that's it! at that point they are done. No paint involved!

So here's the puget:

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll86/aSnakeLovinBabe/P1190079.jpg

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll86/aSnakeLovinBabe/P1190084.jpg

And the infernalis:

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll86/aSnakeLovinBabe/P1190094.jpg

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll86/aSnakeLovinBabe/P1190090.jpg

I have been hoping to more thamnophis "fan art" for a while now... I'd really like to do one of each! as soon as I am able to get ahead on my seemingly never ending list of custom work. Which, might I add, is often ball python, after ball python, after boa, after ball python! Gets a little monotonous.... but I guess I shouldn't complain! My cane yielded enough to make a second infernalis which is currently sealed up in a baggie, waiting for me to pull it out and turn it into a snake! So when I finish that one, and some more tham art, I will be sure to update it once more. One thing that I really love about sculpting garters.... their vibrant colors really make it a lot of fun.

In the next two weeks, I will be sculpting a likeness of "Butters" an albino checkered that was originally produced by me, sent to Richard, and then from there went to another home where he eventually passed. So if nothing else, I do have THAT to look forward to as far as garter snakes go!

And you guys wonder why I can't frequent the forum as much :P

On a side note.... who is attending or possibly attending the October 2013 Tinley Park Expo? I have scheduled to vend this show and would love to meet anyone that may make an appearance :)

Off to feed my babies now :D

[guidofatherof5]

They look awesome Shannon.

[thamneil]

Gorgeous as usual! Nice to see a post of yours here Shannon :)

I still haven't forgotten about my parietalis! Just haven't found a nice enough stone. Will have to continue my search.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Thanks guys :)

Take your time finding that stone, I have *plenty* of work to catch up on in the meantime :O

[chris-uk]

Beautiful work. I particularly like the infernalis. Sometime I will get my act together and get you to make one for me, an infernalis in the outside of the snake room door would be great (and would be easier to spot than my three babies).

[infernalis]

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll86/aSnakeLovinBabe/P1190094.jpg

I absolutely love this one!! very nice work Shannon.

[kueluck]

Awesome talent you have. Great eye for detail.

[snake man]

At first glanse I though the first one was real.

[BUSHSNAKE]

Shannon,ill see you at Tinley:)

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Shannon,ill see you at Tinley:)

hahaha I am pretty sure we have already discussed that :P

I CAN'T WAIT TO HANG OUT WITH MY BFF

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Thanks everyone for your kind words! Personally if I had to pick between the two, I liked the puget. But they both turned out awesome if I don't say so myself :)

[BUSHSNAKE]

hahaha I am pretty sure we have already discussed that :P

I CAN'T WAIT TO HANG OUT WITH MY BFF
awww, itll be a ton of fun!! PARTY WITH SHANNON WAHOO!!

[Greg'sGarters]

Shannon, they are beautiful!

[CrazyHedgehog]

These are great, I think you should make one for all active members!!! ;)

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

These are great, I think you should make one for all active members!!! ;)

In that case I might be done by the time I am 40!!! :P

[Greg'sGarters]

In that case I might be done by the time I am 40!!! :P

We can wait. :p

[ProXimuS]

Those are so life-like! Great work :)

[BLUESIRTALIS]

Those are awesome!

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I've been really busy. Cold-Blooded Creation is taking me places I *never* dreamed it would.


http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y460/ColdBloodedCreation/null_zps4a4a83dd.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y460/ColdBloodedCreation/null_zps028863df.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y460/ColdBloodedCreation/null_zps4064992d.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y460/ColdBloodedCreation/null_zps785d3c6e.jpg

I'm going to do some thamnophis including one for personal wear soon... But I am still undecided on what species I want to do. Leaning towards a marcianus as I favor their coloration. Also a classic erythristic sirtalis would be really nice.

CBC is no longer just my hobby... It has become my occupation... My profession... My life's work and my purpose for being on this earth. As I continue to further my skill and knowledge of this profession... I am picking up a lot of attention. Sometimes a little to much to handle! It's wonderful and a little scary all at once :)

[guidofatherof5]

The Gaboon viper is awesome.

[jwolfe152]

all of the stuff on etsy looks great i never imagined you could make them looks so life like it must take a good amount of time to make them look that good

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

The Gaboon viper is awesome.

Thank you :) they took a very long time to make. One was custom and the other was an extra I made alongside it, expecting to have it around for a while to display at shows due to the high price tag they carried. And I was both happy but also a little bit sad that it sold before it was even finished! I really wasn't sure how long it would take to sell with a $350 price tag, nor did it matter as i was happy to have a real show of my talent on display... but now I only wish I had a couple more ready for the others that want one!

But alas... I am pretty much completely booked now thru Xmas. I literally live at my sculpting desk nowadays :) most of what I sculpt now is just commission after commission!

I am moving forward with a line of metal Herp work as well. Same exact looks at what I make now, but in metals :D



picture a classic t. S. sirtalis in black steel, copper, yellow bronze, white bronze and more! Ooooooh that's something I need to get going on.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

all of the stuff on etsy looks great i never imagined you could make them looks so life like it must take a good amount of time to make them look that good

I continue to hone my skills. I have come a long way. At this point I am beginning to gain international attention. It's really exciting :D

The etsy shop doesn't even have most of my work since, well, most of it's all custom. My website should be functional in two months.

i have barely scratched the surface of what is to come!

[jwolfe152]

wow the metal sounds like it will look great too you will have to post pictures when ya get it finished

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I hope that some day someone will commission a gold ring. That would be so fun. But at $700 a packet, gold clay is not something I'm ready to splurge on just yet!

[jwolfe152]

WOW $700 thats crazy but once one person wants one i am sure you would have enough to do a couple rings

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

WOW $700 thats crazy but once one person wants one i am sure you would have enough to do a couple rings

Nope. Probably just one thick one or MAYBE two thin ones.

[jwolfe152]

ok that is crazy and would be a crazy expensive ring

[EKS56]

Good Job!!! :)

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

ok that is crazy and would be a crazy expensive ring

The clay is literally pure powdered gold mixed with a small amount of organic binder to make it workable like clay. Once fired in the kiln, the binder burns away and the metal sinters (fuses together, but not totally melting). So you end result is a piece of solid metal. Each metal clay has a slightly different shrinkage rate as well so you need to do some math to get the proper size for the finished ring :)

[jwolfe152]

oh wow thats cool i kinda figured it was about half junk and then overpriced lol