Cutting down the neck of the Heron and Feeding Koi

In the last post I realized the Heron's neck was too long. I used photoshop to determine the correct length. I mark the section of neck to be removed...

and use a hacksaw blade to cut through the neck and copper tubing inside. I will then cut through the neck at the point marked on the right and remove that portion of the neck. But how to get the neck back together?

The Heron's head, cut off. You can see the copper tubing inside the clay. I will use a wood dowel to join the two sections. It is about the same diameter as the tubing. I insert it into the neck of the heron toward the head as far as it will go and then mark it. I then do the same with the other section of neck. I then carefully measure and then add the two distances and this gives me the length I need to cut the dowel.

I use the hacksaw blade to cut the dowel.

The dowel is such a tight fit I have to twist it into the copper tubing but this is a good thing - the tight fit will hold the head securely in place. When I replace the head I see the fit is not exact, but that is an easy fix...

I carve clay away from beneath the neck and put it on top and on the sides of the neck.

I then use a soldering iron and more clay to completely fill in the gap between the two sections.
The shortened neck, now all it needs is little feathers on the front of the neck like those on the breast.

I have been experimenting with the grass clump. In this photo the lower part of the clump is just in front of the herons straight leg...

And this is the clump starting just even with the leg. I have removed the supporting rod from the scene via photoshop so I can get a better feel for how the piece will look in the site. I like the clump a little forward of the leg, the clump even with the leg feels a little weak visually, but then I suppose I'm splitting hairs....

Another view.

Don and I went to a store specializing in fountains to see if they have grating for disappearing foutains. I am interested in using that for the Otter Sculpture.

While we were there I got to feed their Koi. They were swarming in for food. Really cool creatures....