I have recently completed a clay bust of the late great Canadian poet Al Purdy. I decided to work with Al as his birthplace is not far from my studio, and I have enjoyed his work at important moments in my life. Myself and a friend were reading his work aloud on stage at a pub, the very night he died.
In this first image, I have prepared the work to be cast. The bust is tilted slightly and ringed in half with a halo of Klean Klay to create a dam, prior to the application of liquid silicone. Several layers of silicone need to be applied during this process to build up enough strength to make a durable 'negative' mold. Once both sides of the image are set, a heavy layer of plaster and burlap will be added as an extern
al skeletal support, like an eggshell. When these sections are dried thoroughly, they will be seperated and the internal clay removed. The functional destination for this process is to create a reusable mold for making a positive cast in ciment fondu. Wish me luck...tbc.
