This morning I also took some photographs of my movable pieces in the studio!
These will be the images I will be selecting my business cards and press pack imagery from!
I’ve completed the paint job on my Mad Hare!
Before starting this figure I was sculpting using block of wood as props and building the pieces solid. However subsequently I had decided to construct a paper version of my figure and layer clay over that form suspended on wooden dowel. This has given by sculpting a much more organic, fluid and delicate feel. It is also easier to sculpt all around the form. However this technique has not been without its pitfalls; Gravity. She is a cruel mistress.
Today:
Previously:
It the last few days I have begun sculpting my collection of small hares, here is how The Goddess is shaping up so far;
Continuing to model my moon hare. I have to do this in stages and sections throughout the day so some pieces can become leatherhard in order to support the next piece.
The fabric is damp and wrapped around sections to stop them drying out too much!
Today I evened out, tidied up and started to model the features onto, my Moon Hare orb. I first attached the head, I decided not to start with the legs as I didn’t want them to dry out and become fragile too early on. With this piece the legs are not for support at all so this could be done, unlike my Mad Hare who I had little choice but to do the legs first.
When I model my others however I think I will find some way of supporting them so that the legs can be done later in the process so the problems I had with the Mad Hare can be avoided.
After putting the head on I marked out where each of the legs would go and began to model some up, putting some structure guides on as I went.
Today my Mad Hare went into the kiln – it was my most stressful journey to the ceramics workshop ever. All went well thankfully and my Mad Hare made it to the kiln. However in a cruel twist of fate the shelf he was on would not fit in the kiln with him on so we had to transfer him to a new shelf in the kiln, at an angle. Both front legs once again broke free. That’s the risk of ceramics! Luckily I can re-attatch them once the piece is fired and completed
Last Friday I began coiling the second half of the sphere and today completed!
To get the first half to stand up I created a ring out of clay on Thursday, with a layer of plastic between the piece and the ring so the two didn’t become one.I left that over night to harden and with some assistance turned the half sphere over and rested it in the ring.
This half was, as expected, much easier and quicker to do as I had already learnt the abilities and limitations of the clay and was very familiar with the process, so that’s always nice!
I used also Ingrid’s tidying technique throughout the build to save myself time and work at the end. Tomorrow I’ll give it another tidy up and then I can start adding the head and limbs!
Recently I started another new hare, this time bigger again! I was also advised to use crank clay as it has a higher amount of grog (grit). This clay is a lot easier to use to what I am doing as due to the grog it is a lot more stable and quicker to be able to support itself. This piece will be my ‘Luna Hare’ so I will first need to construct a sphere and will then build the head and limbs on top of that. I began by coiling the first half. First I actually tried to coil it upward, like a bowl, but soon realised that was a ridiculous way to do things so instead built it upside down. This process took a couple of days as after 2 or three layers the piece must be left to dry a little as if you try and do too much at once the clay will not be strong enough so will therefore collapse under its own weight. However I finally completed it!
Ingrid then showed me how to use a serrated metal kidney and surform in order to achieve a pretty much perfect finish (luckily I don’t need to create the perfect sphere as eventually this will be a hare with muscles, flesh and features). Unfortunatly I forgot to tae a photo of its beautiful round-ness before I flipped it, but you’ll see the same look when I’ve completed the 2nd half!
Samantha Emily Alland 