Progress

Or is it “Moulds”? Whatever…

I’m ashamed to admit it, but plaster and I do not get along.

My molds have never been good. They’ve achieved their purpose, but oh they are ugly and awkward. My last sculpture professor informed us (with tongue fully in cheek) that, “A smooth mold is a happy mold.” My molds must be the most miserable beings/structures around.

When it comes to smaller molds, I can deal. I can build a clay structure to contain the plaster as it dries and the particular quirks of this material are in a small enough space for me to feel as if I have some say in the outcome. But recently, for the stress/boss vignette, I’ve had to construct a mold that is not flat, easily containable, nor square.

Ah yes… the aspect of mold-making that they skim over in most information packets/books/web-pages… The construction of the structure that will contain the liquid plaster. How to create such a thing if you don’t have a convenient container already or if you’re contemplating something more complicated than a flat, square, two-part mold.

I’ve never really had much instruction in this aspect of sculpture. So much of what I know is through trial and error… and error and error and more error.

I guess there are more errors for me to make before I can do this competently. So I’ll get to it. Onward to errors!