I decided to take the steps needed to be able to produce this little keystone in kiln fired terra cotta, now after several steps- the final step is pictured,  I have the plaster piece-mold to do it once it dries out.

Now I have the very first hand-pressed clay from the new plaster mold out and drying, it took 50# of clay to press the design, and about 10# of that was removed during the final work on it. Now it will set loosely under plastic to slowly, evenly dry out over the next week to 10 days, it will need to be 100% dry before it can be fired in the kiln. I plan to press a second one either in the same white clay, or the red clay. The photos show the progression from start to finish, with the back of the sculpture being made exactly the same way…

The first cast in the dirty bronze finish

Now I have this cast finished with the weathered terracotta finish.

The first cast with no finish applied to it yet  

Seeing how the lion head fits, the 11″ long backing form looks just right to show that nice classic double curve an inch or so on either side of the lion while keeping the whole thing small and compact . I have to see if the boxes of clay I have had sitting around are still useable, but once I start making the clay backing form in the template box it all has to be done quickly, including making the complete rubber mold before the clay starts to shrink, including making the plaster support shell since if the clay shrinks the rubber will move with it, so the shell has…

The template for the lion is done except for attaching the one side piece once I decided how wide the sculpture was going to be, after coming home and measuring the lions head and found it was 9″ wide, I decided on 11″ wide for the backing block, so just like they did the old plaster ceiling moldings this box and template is used the same way but on clay. I have the 1st section of the little mold made, after it hardens I can mold on the next section, it will take 3, maybe 4 pieces. Mold started of my lion mask The mold is done and I made…

Since I have most of the 2 gallon kit of mold rubber left over that needs to be used up, I decided to set up this clay model I did in 2008 after an original polychromed terracotta at the 14th st subway station in Manhattan. A volunteer back then took several photos and obtained measurements for me to work with. The model has been kicking around in the studio, the basement and elsewhere around the house while I decided on how I wanted to do the molds. Originally I was going to do 2 molds, as a one-piece panel, and as thinner tiles in terracotta. For now I’m going to…

Started on the positive mold of my beaver sculpture by bringing the negative mold up from the basement and applying the release agent to it, after I have dinner I’ll be applying the rubber compound. The mold in progress, and just after the 2nd application of rubber started to gel I poured the warm plaster in for the support shell. The heat from the setting plaster will help cure the rubber faster too. To-morrow I can take the negative mold apart and peel that rubber off the new and I’ll have a rubber positive with this plaster support inside it. After filling the cavity with plaster for support And here’s…

I haven’t posted anything here since last July, since there’s been very little happening sculpture wise, plenty of other non-sculpture stuff I’ve been very busy with though. I took a break from doing any further new models since I have a bunch of completed clay models sitting all over and not even one inquiry on any of those, so I have not  made rubber molds of them and have no plans to do so in the foreseeable future. There’s not a lot of point in continuing to create large, fragile clay models and having them sit stored around the house where they are in the way and easily damaged. We’ll…