Green Man

Or what's left of him!

Using Fowler

Progress on a clay head built around the paper laminate of a Fowler Phrenology head
The paper head was stuffed with newspaper and an inverted plastic cup, then wrapped with cling film. I then rolled clay sheets onto a basic clay frame.

Half Head

The half head from last term's Inspired by Life course finally got its glazed firing this week and it's now enjoying the scenery on the wall in the garden. This piece was quickly done but that gives it energy and at first people don't see the face, they notice later that he is sticking his tongue out at them!

Angry Man 2

Another "Angry Man", this time with much more of his internal head space filled with paper which of course is reduced to ash on firing. Below is the unfired head with paper stuffing.
So there's more space for the candle to light it from the inside, which was the intention.

Direct Plaster 3

The plaster is actually quite difficult to work as its texture changes quickly as it dries. I have built up this head by applying wet plaster with a spatula or my fingers but have not yet tried filing or carving the dry plaster. See the video below of Paul showing how to carve the wet plaster as if it were clay.

Proud Father

That was last night and now this morning, he's really grown up.

Mouse Cat

A great opportunity for the time limited sculptor. Andy Goldsworthy, Richard Long and I went down to the local park ...

Towers

I love these towers, they are impermanence itself, so beautiful, fragile and transient. I made this one for passing motorists.

Direct Plaster 2

And here is how the direct plaster progressed yesterday ...

Direct Plaster

With this term's model Rhona, I have been doing some Direct Plaster work. It's a plaster and scrim over a chicken wire frame. Our Julia fell in love at first sight ...



This technique was widely used by Elizabeth Frink. Here is some of her work:

Papier-mâché Head

I made this papier-mâché cast of a Fowler Phrenology head a few months ago. However, it was just sitting on a shelf gathering dust. Now I have an idea of a use for it, but, before I mess it up (!), here are a few interesting shots. It's good lit from inside, I think, but may be a fire hazard!

Angry Man

Inspired by Alex's crazed clay heads as well as Maria's demonic baby, I came up with this creation. The head was stuffed with newspaper which was removed prior to firing, so the upper part at at least is hollow and therefore a good place for a candle!

Chinese Art

Went to see The Revolution Continues: New Chinese Art at The Saatchi Gallery in the King's Rd yesterday.


Great space and an interesting exhibition in which I particularly liked these huge (4m x 2.5m) paintings made with incense ash by Zhang Huan.

Fragments of incense sticks lie strewn on the canvas >>>>

Recycled Clay Works In Progress

All of these works in progress have been rustled up from waste clay that I have taken home from the studio and then recycled at home. Generally I have just added water and worked moisture back into it.
I am enjoying this archetypal image of wholeness at the moment:
My mother in law showed me a kitsch plastic lady (on a desktop pen holder) that she liked. I made this as a result but she wasn't impressed.
So I made the following 5 min sketch of her object to appease her!
This was made inside the previous bowl (Inspired by #3), but this time with the newspaper packed around the outside with the inside smoothed. It will be an inverse of the first bowl.
More masks for the mask collection!

Ice

There's ice everywhere in this cold weather and it's great to sculpt. Here's what I got up to yesterday!

Inspired By #3

This piece was made by smoothing a thin layer of fresh clay over an inverted mixing bowl which I had covered in scrunched up paper to allow the drying clay to move when shrinking, preventing cracks.
I wanted to make a smooth rounded shape reminiscent of Christine's curves. I suppose that this could be a large buttock but I will leave the analysis to the viewer.
The red glaze is a simple paint job while the inside cabbage effect glaze in blue, green and white was done by diluting the glazes with water, mixing azures, greens, reds and sand colour and then allowing the watery glaze to drip around the contours of the bowl. I would allow some glaze to run in from the lip of the bowl, then pick it and rotate it in the air to get the colours into different nooks and crannies. I am quite pleased with the effect and it has given me further ideas for more works made in a similar way.