Kitty Up

GBO · #1 07-24-2012, 09:42 AM

Just finished this yesterday and thought I'd get some input.
My wife and I love cats. And they have their own world and occasionally they let us in. So, this sorta came out of a conversation my wife Linda and I had about what cats do at night and what they bring home. Sooo!!!

**ArtsyLynda** · #2 07-25-2012, 08:01 AM

What fun! Will it be bronze or what? How will you patina it? Thanks for sharing!

GBO · #3 07-25-2012, 08:29 AM

Thanks. It will be bronze and as for the patina, probably just go with the liver of potash and just buff the the saucer back to the original bronze color, seeings as how it's pretty smooth. There is real fine hair over both the cats and it should really come out after a good buffing.

**ArtsyLynda** · #4 07-25-2012, 11:12 AM

I thought you might use silver nitrate on the saucer and some fantasy patinas on the cats, as if they were the aliens . . . LOL It's a fun piece.

**sculpturedolls** · #5 07-25-2012, 04:34 PM

Very cute concept! I'm a cat lover so I really enjoy all cat related art. It should look great with the bronze patina. Please share pics when it's done.

Here's a link that shows a cat stealing things at night. The cat burgler:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qSLv...ayer_embedded#!

GBO · #6 07-25-2012, 05:01 PM

I like Dusty! We had a cat years ago named Garrison. When he was little he would steal T shirts and things and drag them under a dresser. He had a big nest there. Gotta love the cats.
I'll probably get this cast next year as I have a few in front of this first. Anyone care for Colombian Mammoths?
Thanks for feedback

GBO · #7 07-26-2012, 08:32 AM

On your site,the figure "Blessings Bloom", the patina goes from the bottom up in a graduation from the reddish to more soft beige.Really like this effect. Like she's kicking up dust. Do you do your own patina work? This is the second area of bronze we want to do ourselves. Have done much airbrush in the past and hope to adapt this. Also, the lace and tiny little work on "Beautiful Dreamer" is wonderful. Do you work with oil or water clay?

**sculpturedolls** · #8 07-26-2012, 12:26 PM

Love to see the Colombian Mammoths. Those are excellent critters as well (well, not a critter, more like a BEAST

)

The graduated patina is made by first applying opaque light color to the entire sculpture and then spraying (an air brush would work well for this) the darker color in mists up the piece. I like the effect a lot as well. Glad you do too.

I work only with water clay. Love it!

GBO · #9 07-26-2012, 12:47 PM

Does the water base clay dry out to quickly? I tried throwing pots and kept the piece that was being worked in a plastic bag but it still got dry rather fast. Also, the wonderful lace on the one ladies dress is so fine. Doesn't that break up with molding? Really have a mess of questions about this before dedicating a piece to the process, but want to learn.
Here's the Columbian. Will do a sculpt of the whole critter later on. When we go through South Dakota we like to swing into Hot Springs at the Mammoth Site. We love the museums. Linda wants this one cast next. She loves old bones and artifacts
Hope you enjoy.

**sculpturedolls** · #10 07-27-2012, 12:01 PM

Cool.

Nice skull there and that writing is very good too. Those that know their skull artifacts will know what kind of animal this is and especially with the writing clue. Thanks for sharing it.

Water clay doesn't dry out too quickly for me because I just spray it once a week and water (spray mist) them like my plants. Keep them wrapped up in a black bag and twistie and they are good to go for years with watering.

The lace may break off in molding but that can be easily repaired if I want to keep the original and fire it in the kiln (and I usually do).

GBO · #11 07-28-2012, 08:03 AM

Thanks for the good words. Try to add a little extra to the works.
Will try a sculpt with water based clay. Should I use something with a high kaolin content and do you use a wire armature that sealed also?

**ArtsyLynda** · #12 07-28-2012, 11:35 AM

Love the mammoth skull! And the writing is wonderful! I wish I was good at that, but my handwriting is so abysmal, I wind up signing my art in print rather than script. Thanks for sharing your work!

**sculpturedolls** · #13 07-28-2012, 12:20 PM

I build my sculptures so that they are hollow and I don't have to cut them open to carve them out. To do this, I sculpt around a paper core (wod of paper bags scrunched up or newspaper and then taped into a cylinder shape as needed). If I can remove some of this paper before firing, I will, just to save my kiln from burning up the paper and having the smoke from that perhaps effect the elements of the kiln causing them to wear out sooner than normal.

Clay will form it's own armature of sorts because as it dries it stiffens.

I don't consider kaolin content but just have experimented with different clays and found one I like with fine grog. Clay suppliers will say which clays are best for hand building versus throwing a pot.

GBO · #14 07-29-2012, 09:26 AM

Glad you like the Colombian. On the names like that I use PhotoShop and make the shape and font I like then flip it vertically and make a print out. Then I flatten out some supersculpey and lay the paper on the clay and use a straight pin and poke holes too make an outline. Then remove the paper and using a micro tool press into the supersculpey connecting the dots from the pin making a reverse image. I then bake it at 200 degrees for about twenty minutes, let cool, and take a small ball of clay and press it out flat and press it into the mold. Peal off carefully and put it in place. I like the effect of the letters being raised this way.
I like the idea of no armature and using a cone that can be removed before going to the kiln. Do you fire all the way like a bowl or just bisque then go to molding.
Thank you for the input. I do a lot of research before I actually tackle something new. Interested in the water based clay for the figures.

**sculpturedolls** · #15 07-29-2012, 11:20 PM

That's a creative technique you have there for making the raised lettering. Nice that you press in the lettering with a tool, thus making a concave mold, then bake to harden which will allow clay to press into it.

I mold before firing my water clay sculptures. The sculpt is leather hard but not dried out. The more dry, the more gritty and unattractive the sculpt looks IMO. I like the plumpness of moist clay, it's my favorite stage of a water based clay sculpt (a close second is how it looks when fired and finished).

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