Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Last official week of art class

Nothing seems to be done. Well, that's not exactly true. The paper things are done, they just need to be framed later for display. The relief of Anubis is done. And the wire dragon is done. But I didn't really care too much for them.

Technically, the first glass sculpture is done, but it's full of holes. I have made a mold for the second one, but I have to wait for everyone else to finish their glass projects to see if there will be enough glass left for me to try again.

There is more drama with the rubber molds. I mentioned something to the professor about using paint-on thick rubber instead of pouring rubber. I was just talking about later, next semester maybe. But he thought it was such a good idea that he ordered some additive and told me to use that on my second mold. And he's making everyone else that hasn't already poured rubber to use this method too. I wanted to try it, just not now, and not on this particular piece. I'm not sure it's going to work with this piece. It's very high relief in places, and it is taking many many coats of "paint." I didn't think it was ever going to get done.

Tomorrow I'll finish that mold and hopefully I can test it Thursday. The first mold isn't working so good. I did the first piece, and the first piece is really just supposed to be a test, and it also helps clean out the mold and such. I'm afraid that the first piece may end up being the best one. I wasn't planning on doing anything with it, but now I'm painting it white to cover up all the smudges of leftover clay. Little pieces of the mold come off every time I use it. And every time I cast plaster in it there are bubbles and/or little pieces of plaster that get stuck in the mold and break off. After my third attempt I decided to give it a rest.

We were also supposed to used this same mold with cement and maybe a resin. But I guess that isn't going to happen either.

My pumpkin is now in the kiln. With luck I can take it home on Thursday and get it painted over the weekend. And with a little more luck I'll get the three extra tiles out and glazed in time to get fired again.

Really, to earn the B I have already agreed to, there isn't much that I have to do. I have to paint that pumpkin, which shouldn't be a problem. I have to finish painting that dragon test piece, which is mostly done except that I would like to find a way to repair a couple of the little pieces that broke off. And I have to finish that artichoke plant, which I am working on at home and should finish today.

But I had thought that I'd get more done. The teacher is offering other students extra credit for making more pieces with their rubber molds and paper molds. Why can't I get extra credit for something? I'd gladly do some extra work. I have been doing extra work all along. Just now the dragon mold is being difficult.

I had meant to use the dragon molds to make a couple of Christmas presents. I may end up just taking a picture of a dragon and wrapping it with a note saying, "I'll make you one of these later."

For some reason I was thinking that next week was the last week of regular classes. Finals week doesn't really count. Your not still supposed to be working on stuff during finals week. But I guess that I will be.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hope everything turns out for you. I can remember some of those days of waiting for things to be fired, or for stuff to dry, or to get the odd missing assignments done. I am probably not the first to ask...but can we see some photos??

I like to see what other people are capable of artistically.

laughing said...

This is still the only photo

http://insidioustruth.blogspot.com/2007/05/blog-post.html

This is the terra cotta relief from last spring. I did not draw the pattern. I used the same pattern again for the rubber molds, so I should have a few more of these, only smaller and different colors.

He took more pictures, but he still hasn't given them to me yet.

Anonymous said...

I might not have been around at that time, I do not recall that photo. I checked it out and I like the piece a lot. The only way to get that kind of detail is to work hard at it.

Really nice work.

dmarks said...

That one ended up as Windows wallpaper on my PC at one point (saved off the blog) and looked pretty cool when I had to do Powerpoint projected on a big screen for a group once.

DD said...

I like the relief.

I always seemed to be last minute with my college assignments, I think I must have enjoyed ODing on adrenaline.