Clay Sculptures

[Site Man]

OLD FORUM POSTS

Posted by Mike Jackson on March 20, 2002

Hello,
Back in Oklahoma, I hired a woodcarver to work at the shop. I sold a job which had four identical thoroughbred race horses which were cut out of redwood and applied to the raised area of the sandblasted signs. We had pretty good artwork and made a pattern which we used to cut out all the shapes and also mark the cut areas on the stencil. This suggested making a clay model first, and I let him do it. He used the same pattern and drew onto a piece of white masonite and then he built up clay to the appropriate levels. Since it was basically used to determine the depths that needed to be carved away, he didn't have to sculpt every little detail. When it was time for actual carving, the clay sculpture helped speed up the process by at least the amount of time it took him to do the clay mock up. A year or so later, one of the pieces was vandalized (stolen for a dorm room), and we had to make another. Luckily, I had kept the clay piece. The other carver was gone by then and I had to carve the next ones.

Mike Jackson

Vance Galliher

hi mike........interesting that you should mention clay sculptureat this time....i am just finishing a 16" clay lemur (lizard) that i'll make a silicone rubber mold of and use poly urethane liquid plastic mixed with bronzing powders to give birth to as many little lizards as i wish......this is my first venture in clay sculpture (thanks to my good friend bill blumberg, mentor and state treasure of we orgeon sign artist)and man o man it is so wonderful to make something with my "hands" rather than a tool. i've carved a lot of wood in my life, but there i start with a solid material and "take" away......with clay it's starting from the "inside" out , and it "feels" sooo good !.......enjoy what you or don't do it, vance

Vance Galliher

ps..this thing needs an edit button ! it's really not "orgeon" ,rather "oregun" hahaha......i should reread what i write.......vance

Vance Galliher

ps.....this really needs an edit button ! i swear we can spell in "oregon".hahaha..vance

Rick Sacks

Mike, I've done a couple clay models using the clay with oil in it. After sculpting I sprayed a couple coats of shellac on the clay and then built a box around it and sprayed the clay and box interior with Pam as a mold release. I poured a catalized resin and cast the pieces with mounting hardware cast into them. It worked great!

This was inspired by a gathering of sign folks in Wyoming once upon a time. Thank you.