Cake Toppers 2

I need to bake these guys soon, so let me know if there is anything that I should change.

Écorché and Friends

 In case no-one had noticed, I like making figures. I have a lot of projects going on right now, but the newest is this attempt at making an écorché. An écorché is a study of the body with the skin removed. I've wanted to make one for a long, long time.

Unfortunately, I'm facing an unpleasant decision. I've spent at least 20 hours making him look the way he does, not even including building the base and armature. However, the looseness of the clay and the method of construction are not really right for this type of project. What I should really do now is cut off about 1/8th inch of clay from the whole thing, bake it, and then add the muscles back on. Its never fun to waste so much time and effort. All I can think of to motivate me is that they say you are never really qualified to do something until you have already done it.

Behind the Scenes

I thought that it might be interesting to everyone to hear about what goes on behind the scenes here at SculptorbyDay studios. Over the past few years, and the past year in particular, I have assembled a large amount of art supplies and tools. The first picture is of the workspace in my room, where most of my work is done. The second is of my studio, which is another room in the basement. The third is of the tools that I use more than any others, by far. Not pictured is the workshop in my friend Chris's basement, where more major projects, like casting, take place.

It didn't really occur to me how extensive my collection was until a few days ago. I am lucky enough to have grown up in an artistic household, where a lot of tools were just lying around.

If anyone is interested, here are a few of the supplies and tools that I have bought, found, or been given: Plastilina, wax, Sculpey, blocks of wood, silicon, porcelain slip, resin, soapstone, alabaster, many types of wire, over 100 pounds of clay, saws, knives, pliers, wheel-throwing tools (wire tool, needle tool, bats, etc), wax-working tools, many brushes, sandpaper, custom-cut and polished granite, paints, hammer and chisels, files, glazes, drawing tablet, a Dremel, and a dozen kinds of adhesives.