When the theme for this month’s Artwork Component design problem was introduced, I couldn’t have been extra delighted. It’s lizards! Lizards! I’ve been hoping for a lizard theme, or perhaps a broader reptiles theme, since I began collaborating within the challenges. Sure, I do know I don’t have to attend for a month-to-month problem theme to create lizard-themed artwork. Let’s simply faux I do, okay?
Lizards are certainly one of my totem animals and have been with me since my earliest childhood reminiscences. Two of my favourite varieties of lizards are native to the place I grew up within the desert southwest: horned lizards (which some folks name horned toads) and Gila monsters (that are the one venomous lizards within the US). Did you discover my emblem is a horned lizard? You possibly can learn somewhat about its origin story on my About web page.
Each initiatives for this theme are upcycled glass salsa jars lined in air dry paperclay. I’m nonetheless comparatively new to this medium, having accomplished a grand whole of eight initiatives previous to this month’s theme: six lined jars and two picket plaques. What appears to work greatest for the jars is to work in phases. Stage one is so as to add a base layer of the clay across the jar, texture it, and let it treatment. Stage two is so as to add bas aid or different sculptural parts. This appears to maintain the cracking to a minimal because the clay cures.
Or a minimum of, it has prior to now. I don’t know what was totally different this time from the earlier initiatives, however the base layer of clay on the primary jar began cracking virtually as quickly as I used to be accomplished including the feel. And it saved cracking for days because it cured. Not simply hairline cracks both, however vast chasms. If I hadn’t been aiming for a tough natural texture on the background, I might need been upset. Because it was, I used to be simply mildly pissed off as a result of patching cracks and ready for extra clay to treatment saved me from shifting to the subsequent stage of the venture.
I knew my budding paperclay sculpting and portray expertise had been less than the problem of rendering a horned lizard or Gila monster in any form of convincing element. So I deliberate to sculpt a extra skink or gecko sort lizard. I actually meant to sculpt skinny whip-like lizards. Sincere, I did. However my fingers saved making stout lizards as an alternative. A part of that could be on account of a scarcity of dexterity and talent with clays which might be comparatively new to me. However I think the true drive behind these – let’s name them sturdy – specimens was the affect of the lizard spirit itself. What can I say? I determine extra with full-bodied lizards.
The lizard I sculpted for the primary jar was virtually 2 inches of stable clay on the thickest a part of its physique. That’s the thickest piece I’ve sculpted from paperclay to this point and I didn’t know what would occur because it cured. I do know you should utilize armatures to maintain the clay layers skinny. However like I stated, I didn’t got down to make such a sturdy critter. Anyway, to be on the protected facet, I tented the jar with a plastic bag to sluggish the drying in hopes of avoiding extra cracks. And wow did it dry slowly. I waited two weeks however ultimately, there have been no cracks within the physique and solely slight fissures the place I hadn’t accomplished an excellent job becoming a member of the legs to the physique.
After ready a lot of the month for clay to dry, I nonetheless wasn’t certain what shade to color the lizard. As usually occurs when I’m ambivalent about my shade decisions, I defaulted to blues. Had I identified when putting the inexperienced glass eyes within the clay that the lizard was going to be blue-green, I might need chosen amber eyes for distinction. Oh properly.
Whereas I used to be ready for my huge boi lizard to treatment, I added a background layer of clay to a second jar. For causes that I don’t know, that one dried with just some cracks. It was the identical clay model, from the identical package deal, and utilized on the similar thickness to the identical form of jar. The one distinction was that I textured it with crumbled foil and cheesecloth whereas the primary jar was solely textured with cheesecloth. Maybe it shall stay one of many nice mysteries of the universe.
By the point the second jar was prepared for lizards, I used to be almost out of time. And endurance. It was 5 days till the top of the month, which meant not sufficient time to attend for extra paperclay to dry. Not even skinny lizards, had I been able to sculpting them. So I believed I’d attempt utilizing a 2-part epoxy clay to sculpt the lizards, figuring out it cures arduous sufficient to color inside a number of hours. I’ve solely used epoxy clay for sculpting as soon as earlier than, over a wire armature for a miniature bottle tree. I don’t know a lot about it besides it begins curing as quickly as you begin mixing it and received’t be very pliable after in regards to the first hour. So, no stress.
As soon as once more, my try at sculpting whip-thin lizards didn’t go in line with plan. In my protection, I used to be feeling somewhat confused in regards to the workable time with the epoxy clay and didn’t spend as a lot time as I ought to have on physique and limb proportions. The excellent news is, regardless that the clay was lower than recent (I first opened the jars over a yr in the past for that tree venture), it did adhere to the paperclay base. And, bonus, I used to be in a position to sculpt 5 toes per foot this time. They’re wonky, however they’re all current and accounted for. The even higher information was, the epoxy clay was absolutely cured and prepared for paint the subsequent day.
Lizards are available in a shocking number of colours and patterns however I’m not an knowledgeable painter so I didn’t intention to mimic any precise lizard’s scales. Additional, as my lizards’ our bodies weren’t modeled after any specific species, I didn’t really feel certain by the colour patterns of precise lizards when portray them. As a substitute, I made a decision to go along with an “all the colours” strategy.
Many because of the Artwork Components design staff for selecting lizards for the theme this month. Whereas the paperclay examined my endurance but once more, I’m happy with the outcomes, particularly the textured backgrounds. And I believe I must attempt combining paperclay and epoxy clay for future initiatives. Due to you for stopping by my weblog as we speak. Please depart a remark if the spirit strikes you.
