08.20.10 Toolin' Along, part 2

Another tool that I reach for often is a spoon/spatula shaped stainless steel modeling tool.  Perfect for applying a dab of clay just where you need it, then...

smearing it out to blend in.

What I find so useful is the soft curve of the head of the tool, it allows the clay to feather out softly beneath your touch, rather than leaving a hard edge.  You can also roll the tool to very precisely place or compact a small area of clay.  Use the sharp edge to carve or inscribe into the clay.  When dipped in a bit of solvent the spoon shaped head becomes very useful in smoothing and burnishing the clay.

As with the serrated loop tool that we looked at earlier in August, there are many different sizes and shapes  of tools that fall into the general category of "spatula".   This one is 6.5" long, the spatula head is about .5" at it's widest, and is marked "euclids #61" available at Sculpture Depot  in their Stainless Steel Detail Shaping Tools section.

And oh yes, the pointy bit at the other end is rather handy too!

mmmm

08.18.10 Guest Sculpture in the Studio

You may remember that back in June Barry offered a special molding and casting package offer as part of the Flying Heart Fundraiser.  

Much to our delight Margaret Olson took Barry up on his offer and sent in one of her delightful canine sculptures -- Laddie, an early 20th century farm type collie.  He is such a sweetie, I just love his face!

Thank you so much Margaret!  If you'd like to learn more about Laddie, email Margaret.

08.16.10 Chicken or the Egg?

Which comes first, the name or the sculpture?

In this case the sculpture came first -- a frolicking new version of my Little Bit size sculpture Smittyn. 

Like Indigo Beau, which you saw a preview of last week, this variation was created while I worked on the resin masters of the new mules Iko and Tee-Nah.  Smittyn had her head lopped off, then it was completely reset with a newly re-sculpted neck.  A new profile and a lovely long mane and tail were added too.  Oh, and a sex change.  Minor detail. 

Meet
Rompadeux

So what about that name...  

He's just a horse out having fun, romping around with hardly a care in the world.  I like the word "romp".  But it took me quite a while to figure out a way to work it into a good name.  Rompin' Robin, Romp Around, Romp-aholic, Rompoliscious, Romp A Billy...  All sorts of silly things occurred to me.

Then I was looking up the spelling for "beau" (I had originally spelled it "beaux" -- the "x" at the end looks cool, but it turns out that's a plural version of the word, drat...) and ran across the French for two -- "deux".  It has that great "x" at the end.  Blend "romp" with "deux", throw an "a" in the middle to tie it all together and you have a new word that conjures playfulness, the second time around.  It fits.

Rompadeux is also in the molding queue on Barry's workbench, look for the resin version of him this fall!

 mmm