Head for figures 2

These busts are the second and third in the series.  I've been experimenting with a more stylised approach. The features are exaggerated.  It's probably not something that I will pursue but it was an interesting exercise.
During the construction of the second figure, the head was getting quite heavy as I added more and more clay to form the features.  I ended up cutting the head in half and scooping out clay from the inside of the head.  I find the terracotta clay is quite forgiving.  A negative aspect however is that it comes out of a bisque firing as bright orange.  I intend to use oxide washes to tone down the colour.

I find myself trying to tie these busts into my overall theme but I've been reminded that these are experiments and not to be considered as finished work for my project.

Art Festivals and such

This semester's assignment is to plan an arts biennale, a trifle really.  It seems an undo-able task but fortunately we are working as a group and the load is shared.  I heard some friends talk about Winterlude, an annual festival in Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec.  Of course, Ottawa has the advantage of having a winter with very low temperatures and consequently snow and ice, i.e. the 7.8 km Rideau Canal Skateway.  We, on the other hand, at the southern edge of the Southern Hemisphere can boast of a milder winter and the unique DARK MOFO, an arts festival that celebrates the dark - and the light - at and around the winter solstice.

Perhaps we can bring the Winterlude to our city as a prelude to DARK MOFO?  Swedish-style Ice hotel?

Rideau Canal Skateway, Ottawa

Ice Hotel - Sweden

Tow-piece moulds

Another marathon day in the Plaster Room with a few challenging moments.  I chose an aubergine (more lyrical than eggplant, surely).  A two-piece mould is needed when the model has undercuts and will not drop easily from the mould.  Two halves are constructed from plaster - with an entry point in which to pour the slip - and banded together to form the whole shape.

The aubergine was a little tricky and my cottles weren't completely secured so that when I poured the plaster in, I had a flood of plaster running off the table onto the floor.  With helping hands, disaster was averted and the second part of the mould was poured.  Fingers crossed it all works out tomorrow when I take the cottles off the mould.

I'm already thinking of ways to alter the shape when I slip cast from this mould or I could make multiples of the same shape and make a still life.  How do I support my aubergines....?  Will I leave them uncoloured and unglazed or use a water-colour effect with under-glazes.
  

More questions than answers at this stage.

A head for figures

It was so good to get back to hand-building after a few weeks in the Glaze Room doing slip work.  I took advantage of my 'fruit bowl' press-mould to make the shoulders for my newest bust. The neck was formed by wrapping a slab around a plastic beaker and the base of the head was made from a small spherical slip-casting mould.

This sculpture is a quick study as it lacks fine definition.  I plan to make several and experiment with distortion and finishing techniques.  It feels good to be working again with 
terracotta.  A bit like coming home, but hopefully with fresh ideas and a working plan towards an ever-evolving project.

Slip Casting

I was anxious to try a bit of slip casting in the drop moulds we made last week.  Sadly, the moulds were not completely dry as I found out when I poured the slip into one of them.  It took far too long to set and the results weren't pretty.  Undeterred, I found some small moulds on a shelf in the studio and tried my hand at pouring two vessels which I joined and decorated with some coloured slip work.  Perhaps I've found my calling in designing.....

Slip work just out of the moulds

Finished work

...bathroom sinks! 

Drop Mould

Another day in the Plaster Studio making a one-piece or drop mould for slip-casting.  The first step was covering my models  - pink plastic drinking cup and a glass - with mould-grease.  I filled the plastic cup with wet clay and placed it upside down on the bench and put the cottles in place with a coil of clay on the outside to prevent leakage.  For the glass, I placed it on a clay slab and pressed into the clay before pushing the cottles into the clay.   I then made up a bucket of plaster and poured around and over my models.  When the plaster was set, a shot of air released the model from the mould.

I am set for slip casting next week.  How will I decorate the surface?  I have some research to do before then.

Waiting for the plaster to set in formwork

Slip - Slab - Cracks

Oh dear, cracks have appeared in my slip slab forms, on the base.  I have made new forms today and have taken steps to avoid previous mistakes, such as :  drying on newspaper, thinner bases, scoring and slipping and covering with plastic wrap as the forms dry.  I will find out tomorrow if my efforts are successful.

Today we also made up another 25 kg of clay into slip for yet more slab work and future slip-casting.  I now have a design in mind and a plan for production.