Now that the Commodore mask is done, I figured out the size of the model I will make for the Cable Building acanthus leaf block, it will start out in the clay master model at 20-1/2″ x 26″ and after shrinking when that’s dry it would wind up about 18-3/4″ x 23-1/2″, but if I make a plaster mold to hand-press clay into those would start out at 18-3/4″ x 23-1/2″ and shrink to about 17-1/2″ x 21″ which I have calculated out in reverse so as to wind up with a dry pressed sculpture that will fit my 18″ x 23″ kiln. I could make the model a couple…

Now that the Commodore mask is done, I figured out the size of the model I will make for the Cable Building acanthus leaf block, it will start out in the clay master model at 20-1/2″ x 26″ and after shrinking when that’s dry it would wind up about 18-3/4″ x 23-1/2″, but if I make a plaster mold to hand-press clay into those would start out at 18-3/4″ x 23-1/2″ and shrink to about 17-1/2″ x 21″ which I have calculated out in reverse so as to wind up with a dry pressed sculpture that will fit my 18″ x 23″ kiln. I could make the model a little…

I anticipate finishing this model this weekend, I did a little minor refining here and there and on the left side today, there are four of the left side petals (egg and dart) attached to the face that need refining, shaping and cleaning up yet, that’s mainly what is left to do this weekend. I’m still not happy with the nostrils and transision to the upper lip area yet, not very easy to transistion convincingly because obviously the lips and mouth are highly stylized so there’s little in the way of reference examples to go by, however, I think building the nose downward on the tip and nostril edges a…

Back in October I had an unfortunate health issue with one of my dogs that necessitated taking him to the big veterinary teaching university hospital- Iowa State University- for an exam and MRI, over the two trips I made there I became aware of some art work on the campus, naturally, wanting to know more I looked up their web site to see if they had any history on it. I didn’t find anything on the interesting larger than life styled bronze dog in front of the emergency entrance, but I did find information on pieces I didn’t see, as well as made a mental connection between a story in…

More progress today.

This terracotta panel is in the Brooklyn Museum sculpture garden and dates to around 1885-1890, I had never seen a design quite like it, the building it came from was on 3rd Ave and 68th Street and had been demolished. I’m quite tempted to make a model after this because it’s so unique, I calculated it’s size is about 19″ tall and 22″ wide. Maybe after I do the Cable Building acanthus panel I’ll do this. It is a panel originally from the Mulcaster Building formerly at 1156-1162 Thirdrd Avenue at 68th Street, Manhattan, circa 1885 This delightful image of a butterfly girl sipping nectar from blossoms through a straw…

I was sort of flip browsing some old photos on my drive while revamping my web pages extensively the last two days and I came across some 35mm photos of took of the building from the fire escape way back in 1979. One of the designs I photographed caught my eye again as it has a number of times over the years and I decided to take my large scanned copy and fix it in Gimp to eliminate the angle of view. Next I fixed the proportions and lastly I managed to scale the size of the original by using a couple of photos, one happened to be a photo…

Today’s progress shot:

I have begun adding the mask to the backer now and roughing it out.

Now with about 140 pounds of clay pressed into the form and having used the template to form the concavity and the 2″ flat crown, I have the backer section moldings’ shape in the clay and ready to begin probably to-morrow on adding the mask portion to this.