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Happy Year of the Dragon. Here is my Dragon Girl Bird sculpture from 2018.

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Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Gypsy Vardo wagon

This post first came out Feb 13, 2012.  I bring it back to you so I can share it on Sepia Saturday this week...my very own caravan made from clay.  Even the lanterns, all fired together with a special wire on the lanterns that doesn't melt in the 2100 degree F glaze kiln.

The little gypsy van has been glazed, and the wheel axles glued onto the bottom.  The "Dutch" opening back doors are ajar so you can imagine how living in one of these darling tiny vehicles might have been.  The roof does come off, like the lid of a box, but I neglected to furnish the inside.  Anyone into miniatures might have fun putting the table, bunks, cabinets and curtains into it.



And for inaccuracy sake, I also left off the various accoutrements for a driver and horse.  Sorry about that, but this is just to enjoy thinking about, not planning to put it to the test.



Did you know when I was a young girl, I enjoyed making model cars?  Many a Model T and other various "antique" plastic cars were glued by me...and then painted with that wonderful model paint too.  I must have been totally high with airplane glue and dope (I think that was what the paint was called).  I loved smelling it. How I have any brain cells left at all is a mystery.





So this model is really rough compared to the manufactured models (and there might be a Gypsy Vardo model, I really don't know.) 

The fun for me was looking at 2 photos that come up when you google Vardo.  These wagons apparently were made by one manufacturer in England.  I haven't found others, so if you know of pictures of European or American Gypsy wagons, please let me know!

18 comments:

  1. Love it! Wish I could afford to buy it, but then you know I'd love to buy all of your work, Barb. Anyway, thanks for posting it. It's really great!

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  2. How appropriate for this week's them and what a clever little model. Is it made to any particular scale? I used to make and furnish 1:12 scale dolls houses and some of the little pots and pans would be ideal.

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  3. When I was little I had access to the family works which made clay drainage pipes, chimney pots etc. It was next door to the more well known Denby Pottery works. Clay to model was so plentiful, and the men were always keen for me to join them and make something, which would then be carefully taken out to the kilns and put in a safe corner. But sadly I never became an accomplished modeller as you are. All I could make was a birds nest and six (round) eggs. Not even the bird that laid them.

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  4. I never had the patience for model making so I'm very impressed with what you have created - just right for this week.

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  5. Now I'm really glad for this theme. Your gypsy wagon is so charming. It would be fun imagining the life within it and furnishing the wagon accordingly.

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  6. I made quite a few pottery items when at school, but nothing as fancy as this - I guess they've all been thrown away by now.

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  7. That is so cute! I'm sure there are some miniature wagon furnishings and trimmings out there somewhere.

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  8. I love models like the one you made. Unfortunately, I am the klutz at this sort of thing in the family. My husband and son both have made several wooden models, but none to the intricacy of yours. Thanks so much for sharing this treasure with us.

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  9. Your van reminds me of the box I made when I took a ceramics course. The assignment was to make a box inspired by an artist. My box was inspired by Geogia O'Keefe's paintings of barns, and it had a flat slab roof.

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  10. Lovely! Such a fun piece.

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  11. An excellent little model and leaving room for others to imagine occupants of the space, etc. Interesting how you imagined it.

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  12. I adore vardos and would love to have a real one as a guest room.

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  13. What a charming little van. I envy you your creative skill.

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  14. That is one sweet piece! That little wagon is amazing to look at!

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Thanks for your comments...