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 taking part 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 fake I do, okay?
Lizards are one in all my totem animals and have been with me since my earliest childhood reminiscences. Two of my favourite forms 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 brand is a horned lizard? You may learn a little bit 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 complete of eight initiatives previous to this month’s theme: six lined jars and two wood plaques. What appears to work finest 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 reduction or different sculptural parts. This appears to maintain the cracking to a minimal because the clay cures.
Or not less than, it has prior to now. I don’t know what was completely different this time from the earlier initiatives, however the base layer of clay on the primary jar began cracking nearly as quickly as I used to be accomplished including the feel. And it stored cracking for days because it cured. Not simply hairline cracks both, however extensive chasms. If I hadn’t been aiming for a tough natural texture on the background, I may need been upset. Because it was, I used to be simply mildly annoyed as a result of patching cracks and ready for extra clay to treatment stored me from shifting to the subsequent stage of the challenge.
I knew my budding paperclay sculpting and portray abilities had been less than the problem of rendering a horned lizard or Gila monster in any type 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 stored making stout lizards as a substitute. A part of which may be resulting from a scarcity of dexterity and ability with clays which are comparatively new to me. However I think the true pressure 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 nearly 2 inches of strong clay on the thickest a part of its physique. That’s the thickest piece I’ve sculpted from paperclay to date 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 aspect, 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 in the long run, there have been no cracks within the physique and solely slight fissures the place I hadn’t accomplished a superb 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 positive what colour to color the lizard. As typically occurs when I’m ambivalent about my colour selections, I defaulted to blues. Had I recognized when inserting the inexperienced glass eyes within the clay that the lizard was going to be blue-green, I may need chosen amber eyes for distinction. Oh properly.
Whereas I used to be ready for my massive 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 only a few 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 practically out of time. And persistence. 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, understanding it cures laborious 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 gained’t be very pliable after concerning the first hour. So, no stress.
As soon as once more, my try at sculpting whip-thin lizards didn’t go based on plan. In my protection, I used to be feeling a little bit burdened concerning 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 contemporary (I first opened the jars over a yr in the past for that tree challenge), 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 totally cured and prepared for paint the subsequent day.
Lizards are available a shocking number of colours and patterns however I’m not an knowledgeable painter so I didn’t goal to mimic any precise lizard’s scales. Additional, as my lizards’ our bodies weren’t modeled after any explicit species, I didn’t really feel certain by the colour patterns of precise lizards when portray them. As an alternative, I made a decision to go together with an “all the colours” method.
Many due to the Artwork Parts design staff for selecting lizards for the theme this month. Whereas the paperclay examined my persistence but once more, I’m happy with the outcomes, particularly the textured backgrounds. And I feel I have to attempt combining paperclay and epoxy clay for future initiatives. Because of you for stopping by my weblog at the moment. Please depart a remark if the spirit strikes you.
