Otto was a head above the rest...

Otto worked as a bookkeeper at a bustling insurance agency in Hooterville, Texas. It was a good job... quiet, not in the sense that he did not hear the the sounds of clients lamenting their losses, or the noises of the intersection outside his window, but in the sense that no one bothered him. He went to work... he ate his Spam sandwich and hard boiled egg when it was time for lunch... he went home... he fed his turtle... he ate his soup. Yes, Otto led a charmed life.

One day, Otto came to work and to find that Salacia, an intern from the local community college, had been hired as part of an internship program. Salacia was a talker. She listened to loud disco music on her staticky AM radio. And she talked. She followed Otto around. And she talked. And she sat on his desk painting her toenails as Otto filed paperwork. And she talked, over-sharing, telling Otto about her childhood pet... her car... her dentist appointment... and the trials and tribulations of her tumultuous love life. With every syllable Salacia uttered, Otto become more on edge...teeth clenched... beads of perspiration forming on his furrowed brow... until one day... when it happened. His world would be forever changed. While he was dining on his hard boiled egg and Spam sandwich, Salacia used his stapler... and did not place it back perfectly perpendicular to his adding machine. Otto lost his head at work and things were never the same. Poor Otto

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Otto was hand built, as part of a planned piece that originally included a body. Ah well. Things happen. This was my first attempt with some white clay, so it was a true learning experience.

He was crafted of white clay, the facial features and hair were added by hand. His hair was created in an experimental fashion, using a strainer, The clay was pushed through the screen of the strainer, to create clumps of strands. (Le Chapeau Blanc).

Of course, i feel very strongly for Otto. Seeing this tiny head brings waves of joy... and yes, makes me smile. And face it. It IS all about me! (Le Chapeau Rouge).

I really love Otto's hair. It is truly a grotesque feature, and I plan many more Grotesque pieces with hair that is similar. And I love that he is bald. (Le Chapeau Jaune).

I hate a few things about Otto too. I hate that his chin is not more defined. His moustache dissolves into his neck. SO wrong. I also hate that his right ear has an unglazed part. Very careless of me. Pauvre petite Otto. (Le Chapeau Rose).

I would have loved to give Otto some disgusting ear hair. (Le Chapeau Vert). And In future more care with the facial structure (chin, cheeks), and with glazing. It's hard to see what's been glazed and not glazed with the flesh colour on white bisque ware... Perhaps coating the entire head in glaze (dipping?) would ensure that all is covered.

Because Otto makes me happy, even with his faults, I would have to say that this piece is a success. Voilà le chapeau bleu!