Project by Willi Eggerman.
Willi has always enjoyed working with her hands. She was a baker and owned her own bakery until her daughter was born. She still had the urge to work with her hands, and after taking some classes at the local pottery school, she was hooked! In this project, she sculpts a stylized bust into a planter from clay slabs.
Materials:
sculpture clay
wire clay cutter
serrated metal rib
small container of water
rubber rib
fettling knife or paring knife
needle tool
large rolling pin or a slab roller
pastry roller or brayer
wooden sculpting tools: paddles, varied shapes for modeling face
plant mister
plaster mold of a half sphere
bowl of approximately same shape as the mold
sheets of plastic
texture roller
glaze
3/4" diameter metal tubing
paint brushes
kiln
Christmas cactus, succulents, dried or artificial grasses
Steps:
1. Cut a slab from sculpture clay. Roll it out to a 1/2-inch slab in a round or square shape large enough to ease into a half sphere mold.
2. Press the clay to the mold first with your fingers, then with a rubber rib. Cut excess away from above the mold. Let this set until the clay has hardened enough to hold its shape but is still pliable. Remove and cover the half sphere with plastic sheeting.
3. Make another half sphere in the same manner and put the two half spheres under the plastic sheeting to equalize in consistency.
4. Cut another piece of clay to form the shoulder. Roll it out into a 1/2-inch slab in the shape of a long rectangle (approximately 10" x 18"). Roll the texture into the slab; cut it into the proper shape with curved ends, and drape it over a cardboard tube to stiffen enough to hold the rounded form. Cover the clay edges so they stay soft.
5. Roll another slab of clay the same thickness and cut it into a 7" x 18" rectangle. Cover loosely with plastic. This will be the bottom.
6. When the half spheres are equal in pliability, use the metal serrated rib to score the edges of the half balls. Keep dipping the rib in water as you do this. Both edges must be worked thoroughly in this manner and kept damp by spraying if necessary. Press the two halves together while jiggling to intertwine the clay particles. Now use the serrated rib in the same way, scoring the line of connection. Add a coil to this line and paddle and rib it smooth.
7. Now let the sphere sit under plastic until the added clay is consistent in water content with the rest of the clay. It is best to rest it in a bowl at this point not to flatten the "head" on any side.
8. Attach the shoulder section with the bottom slab by scoring the edges of the textured slab and the bottom slab. Pull the ends of the bottom up on both sides to meet the curve. Jiggle, to bond the two.
9. Cut the bottom slab 1/4 inch larger than the shoulder slab with a sharp knife. Roll this extra quarter inch up the side of the shoulder slab and smooth the edge. With a pastry roller compress the bottom joint.
10. Sculpt the sphere by paddling, modeling and adding clay to form the facial features. Remember that the head is shaped like an egg. You will need to add clay to areas after depressing areas such as the eye sockets and pulling out clay where the nose is to go. Take your time on this aspect.
11. With another slab of clay, form a tube the size you wish your neck to be. Shape it to expand at the bottom where it will meet the shoulder and the head. Attach it to the head section using the scoring method with the serrated rib and water. Let it set long enough to be able to hold the weight of the head. Cut out the part of the sphere that is hidden by the 'neck' and smooth it.
12. Attach the neck to the shoulders in the same manner as the neck to the head. The shoulders are still full of air and should hold the weight without difficulty. Make sure this area is well joined by adding a coil of clay.
13. If making a planter, cut an opening in the top of the head where the plant will go and smooth the inside seam of the head. For a wild grass arrangement, cut small holes in the head area where the 'hair' will go.
14. Make any changes to the face. Make a pin hole in the bottom of the bust so the air in the base can escape as you dry the piece slowly under loose plastic.
15. Bisque fire the bust.
16. Paint the bust with glaze in the firing range appropriate for your clay and kiln. Fire the bust to its finished state.
17. Fill your bust with grasses or plant it with a beautiful head of succulents.
Website: www.WilliEggermanCeramics.com
)
)
)
)
