Trouble with big balls

willow ball, 40 inches diameter (fork to make it art or scale)

Sometimes things go wrong and when I’m working on my own it’s doubly difficult to cope with.

After nearly three hours making a huge willow ball recently, it just didn’t feel right and whatever I did seemed to make things worse rather than better. In the end it burst open like a horrible balloon accident, creating something that looked like it had been dropped from a great height. I wasn’t pleased. It took quite a while and two cups of tea to get to a point when I was back in a mental state suitable for making something supposed to be beautiful.

Somehow, in an hour and a half I got back to where I was previously and the result was much improved. Of course it’s been a while since making a ball this big and it’s a different process that I’d forgotten about. Not exactly how I wanted to spend a whole day, but hopefully next time I set out to make a ball of 40 inches diameter, I’ll remember to make it tight and keep the curves short.

I like the result. It should by now be in Suffolk.