Left to right: Acrylic/gold patina box with handle; other side of
first image; Hand with balanced “mask-like” face. Acrylic.
les. Then, in a rhythmic fashion, the
cast clay was gently removed from
the mold. Plastic bags were bundled
together to back the face while
additional refining was finished.
Some students
wanted their
eyes open; others opted for a
sleeping look.
drapery, or even a hat. Students had
fun finding solutions. Once the face
was attached, a razor knife was used
to cut a locking lid. The plastic bags
were removed and reinforcing coils
were added.
Instead of glaz-
ing the work,
after it was
dried and fired,
we decided to
use dark shades
of acrylic paint
and rubbed on gold or silver wax/
paint to create an antique patina.
The results were amazing! Students immediately began brainstorming other applications for the cast
faces. I knew that by challenging my
students, I had given them the confidence to explore new avenues of creativity.
To incorporate sculptural
elements into my ceramics
program, I decided to try direct
plaster casting of the face to
make a plaster mold for clay.
Nancy Corrigan Wilbert teaches art at
Seekonk High School in Seekonk, Massachusetts. nwilbert@seeekonk.k12.ma.us
Students creating the head
that balanced
on the hand needed the back of the
head to be smoothed and refined. The
sculpted head would be mask-like
when attached to its base.
NATIONAL STANDARD
Students conceive and create works
of visual art that demonstrate an
understanding of how the communication of their ideas relates to the
media, techniques, and processes
they use.
Those creating a box had more
options. Their faces could have hair,
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