What were Mermaids and Seacreatures made of in the 40's/50's?
The media used when creating nautical creatures back in the 40s/50s was primarily ceramic or
chalkware. Most of the time the ceramic pieces had fired on glaze but there were some that were cold painted - and then some used a combination where most of the piece had fired on glaze and the details were cold
painted. Others were created in a chalkware which is a type of plaster. In the 40's/50's they used a real dense plaster and that is why the older pieces are heavy and durable. However you often see a
lot of paint wear and chips on the old plaster pieces because they did not have a protective top coat.... the paint was sprayed on and that was it. If they had of used a protective top coat, we would see a lot
more of these chalkware pieces in better shape today. Will Chalkware pieces withstand moisture/humidity in a bathroom?
I get asked that question often and at first I
think it is a silly question because Miller Studio was one of the biggest sellers of nautical creatures for the bath and all their items were made out of chalkware - we still see them in bathrooms today and none have
molded. But then I realize that there are so many different grades of plaster today, and so many artists making things out of plaster and selling them that my answer would be "it depends!" There are over 10
grades of plaster. Some, like Plaster of Paris, produce a very fragile piece that breaks easily and could mold if not sealed properly. Other plasters are a gypsum cement that are real durable and retard
moisture like ceramic. Plaster of Paris will produce a very light piece because it is not a dense plaster - Hydrocal is a gypsum cement and will produce a heavier piece because it is a real dense plaster.
But what about all the embellishments that are sometimes put on the mermaids... rhinestones in metal and the like, won't they rust in a bathroom. Again, it depends! If the artist buys a special sealer and
seals the ENTIRE piece with the final sealer, everything on the piece is protected and will not mold or rust. All my custom art is sealed with a final sealer to protect from moisture and rust, and all my chalkware
pieces are created out of Hydrocal, a gypsum cement, to retard moisture. You will have no problems at all hanging any of my art pieces in your bath.
Tips on hanging Nautical Creatures
Years ago when someone did a
touchie-feelie to one of my $250 vintage mermaids and it came tumbling down off the wall... I decided to ensure my gals were secured on the wall so none would take a swan dive again. I use mounting tape in addition to a
nail. I always place my piece first on the wall with a nail that has a small head. After I am sure I want it there, I use double sided mounting tape and put a very small piece on the back of the mermaid at the top. You
never want to put the tape in the middle and push a mermaid as you can snap it in two. You want to look at the back of the piece as it is hanging from the nail and see where the first place is down from the nail that
the back touches the wall, place the piece of mounting tape there (it only take a very little piece). Place the mermaid back on the wall on the nail and the tape should bond to the wall withOUT pushing on the mermaid.
If the tape isn't thick enough to hit the wall, add another piece on top of it. But never push on the piece as these fragile pieces were not meant to be pushed on the weak places. The weak places are the neck, waist,
arms and tailfins.... which leaves the head as the strongest part of the mermaid. Be aware that if you do want to take the mermaid down with that piece of mounting tape on it, there is a technique to do that... you
don't just pull it off. Take a sharp, thin knife and more or less "cut" the mounting tape off by easing the knife behind the mermaid where the mounting tape is attached to the wall and kind of cut the tape off
from the wall. The mounting tape will most likely take the paint off the wall when it comes off so that's why you want to make sure you have the mermaid placed where you want it when you use it.... or have touch up
paint. I don't think I have to mention that the mounting tape is not a good idea on wallpaper unless you are definitely sure you want the mermaid in that place forever. On wallpaper, you may want to use a tacking putty
instead. You can find that in the same place you find the mounting tape. I buy both the mounting tape and tacky putty at the Container store but I'm sure they sell it other places such as office supply stores and hobby
stores. I bought some mounting tape once from Home Depot and it wasn't that good - hard to get off the roll and didn't attach well. I use Scotch mounting tape - it comes in a roll and also foam mounting squares. Isn't it a copyright infringement to make a mold of another manufacturer's piece?
Although I don't get asked this question often, I thought this should be addressed since
almost all my custom work is made from molds that I made from my original piece. There were very few vintage ceramic molds made of mermaids, and the manufacturers did not sell the mold once they stopped producing
the piece. Copyright laws were put in place primarily to protect the profit made on an item. So if one copied an item Enesco was currently selling.... you betcha, Ensco would come after you for copyright
infringement.... you are hurting their profit by copying an item they are currently selling. But once a company no longer sells the item, they are not concerned about the copyright. They no longer make money
on it and it is resold by anyone that purchased the piece. Plus most of these companies are no longer in business.
Some things to think about while looking at my selection of mermaids.
Do you......... want a gloss finish on your set, or do you prefer the matte
porcelain look? You will notice on some of my sets I use a combination of gloss and matte... gloss on the tailfin and matte on the skin. Specify Gloss or Porcelain Finish
Do you......... like a pearl color with shine, or do you prefer the more opaque look? When using the color charts below, please note that adding a pearl over a color lightens it.
I often use pearl on the tailfin and on the hair. If you perfer a more natural look, I recommend using opaque on the hair and pearl just on the tailfin.
Specify Pearl or Opaque Coloring
Do you......... prefer a few short eyelashes or long, wispy eyelashes? Most of my pieces have long whispy eyelashes but you will see some I
wanted to look more vintage or a "boy" look so I gave them shorter and fewer eyelashes. Specify Short or Whispy Eyelashes
Do you......... have a preference which way the
seacreature's eyes are looking (ie right, left or up)? Don't just think the set you are getting, think how you can mix them in with what you already have. If you have fish swimming above a
mermaid that you are buying from me, having the mermaid looking up at the fish looks cute and connects your pieces more. Specify which way Looking
Do you.........
want gold or silver highlighting on the sets that have highlighting? Specify Gold/Silver Highlighting
Do you......... want a different Hair/Eye/Tailfin and skintone
color than on the example. The charts below are the colors I use the most but I have over 100 colors so if you don't see the color you want, you could pick up a color at the hobby store,
swipe some on a piece of paper and send it to me - specify the manufacturer and color name - if I don't have it, I can mix colors and match it. Specify Hair, Tailfin, Eye and Skin Color
.
Skintone Color Chart
Tailfin Color Chart
Hair Color Chart
When you are ready to order, just press the Add to Cart
button, Proceed to Checkout, and in the Payment form comment field on Paypal, enter your choices above for colors. Try to put as much as you can in the comment field when you pay as this is
your and my record of what you want.... but feel free to Contact Me with questions. Some sets have a lot of options and it is hard for you to cover everything without emailing
me. :) And, back around, I will contact you if something isn't clear on your order or if you left someting out. It's just me here and I'm Texas friendly! I created this
site, maintain it, and am the artist.... you are just dealing with one person. :)
After you get your set, you may want to look at Tips on how to hang them.
. |
|
|
