September 2012

The process to develop my current series, The Last Bird has several stages of development. The figure is hand built using mid fire stoneware clay. Smaller sized sculpture will be built solid and then hollowed out, while large scale work will be built by rolling out slabs of clay, and building the figure hollow.

Great attention is paid to surface texture, so I will use natural materials found in the environment to press into the wet clay. For example rolling the clay over a piece of pine tree bark duplicates the textured surface.

The textured slabs of clay will then be ripped into sections giving the edges the appearance of wood as it decays or ages. It is then attached to the body of the form with clay slip.

Before the clay is fire, I will apply oxides or under glazes to the surface, and then rub off the higher layers to achieve deeper tones in the depth of the texture.

During the time it takes to fire the form, I will take lengths of twigs already cut into appropriate sizes, and begin to cover the surface with an earth friendly protective medium. If I have an idea about color at that point, I may begin painting each twig.

When the firing is completed, I will work with a welder to build a stand or base for the piece and glue it in place. The twigs are then individually placed and glued under the skirt of the sculpture. The final step will be to complete the color using applied pigments with a coat of sealer....also earth friendly.