Least toxic clay?

[cadman]

I have Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and would like to try some of the sculpting materials out there. I acquired MCS by working with epoxies when I was a Patternmaker. When epoxies cure, they produce toxic gases, which I have become super-sensitized to. Various other substances make me ill as well.

I'm wondering if anyone with similar sensitivities has found a less toxic material they can recommend. I have done some work with natural red clay in the past. I quite enjoyed modeling with it, but found it frustrating when many pieces cracked during drying.

Any recommendations or advice appreciated.

[mariposa-art]

When people talk about "clay," I always assume they mean natural clay.

A lot of artists and sculptors use good old fashioned clay. They minimize cracking by slow drying and other techniques.

[cadman]

Yes, I've always thought of clay as natural clay too, but I think a majority now think of the new synthetic materials when you say clay. I also had the impression (maybe I'm wrong) that the majority in this forum use the synthetics.

I'm sure many here have tried out the various types and brands. Maybe some people are sensitive to varying degrees. I know that I would probably get a rash on my fingers and get a headache and feel ill using some of these materials.

If anyone who has had reactions to any sculpting materials can share knowledge from their own experience, I would very much appreciate it.

Thanks.

[mariposa-art]

I can't speak for what the majority of users here think of when they think of "clay." All I know is that natural clay is still alive and well, plenty of places still sell it and to me it seems weird to think that synthetic has become so ubiquitous that it is assumed that one means synthetic when one says "clay"! I have done a lot of wheel throwing and pottery, and as far as I know, natural is what is required there.

I like Laguna and Aardvark brand (natural) clays. Here's a promising-looking clay by Laguna: http://www.lagunaclay.com/clays/western/wc390.php

[sculpturedolls]

My sculptor friend had her hands reacting, I think with cracking and allergies, to working with Super Sculpey for years and years. She is a professional sculptor and has worked for years to make even lifesize sculptures with it. She recently switched to another clay but I can't recall which one. I'm pretty sure that it was an oil based clay that had no odor to it. In that case, in order to have a finished piece of work, a mold would have to be made of the sculpture and then cast in another material.

Do you want a type of material that you don't have to mold and cast your work?

[cadman]

Yes, I want a sculpting medium that preferably comes in different colors and air dries or hardens in the oven.