On the Rocks

I recently had a request to make some light switch covers for a gal who was doing some re-decorating and she wanted to co-ordinate several shades of neutrals, blacks and browns.  After auditioning a couple of brown tone plates, I suggested that she try one of the rocks type that I have been making recently.  They are so organic and neutral, that they complement almost any décor. 

There are what appear to be several limey-green type rocks in this cover plate, but, they are not even close to green in real time.  The background (or cave interior like I refer to it) is not nearly as dark as this scan makes it appear.  In reality, it is more of an off-ivory, with antiqued areas of deep umber and light black. I haven't decided if it looks better with the double rock path near the bottom or up at the top.  That is the beauty of these covers...one can flip them up or down.

Getting textures that look natural onto these things is not as cut and dried as just using a texture sheet or plate.  As a matter of fact, I seldom use the "prepared" textures as some of them look too cookie-cutterish if you want to achieve natural textures.  Seldom in nature do you notices the same striations and cracks repeating every so many inches as you would get in using a prepared texture.

It's raining a bit here today, not heavily, thankfully, but enough to keep me out of the garden and busy in my clay area.  I've got a lot of clay things to get ready, so I can't be on this machine too long...But if later I hear the tinkle of ice cubes in a frosted glass, I will be sure to heed that little 'on the rocks' sound.