Investigating the shape of the body and its surroundings using only black and white oil paint was a real challenge. I found the extra life painting classes at uni a great opportunity of improving my painting technique.
Kathryn Raffell, 2015, Untitled, oil on canvas, 25cmx30cm.
This is my first painting of Blue that I felt captured a likeness of her. Needs more work on her arms as they are a bit thin.
A local studio runs bronze casting workshops so I am going to learn about that process. I have made another figure that is more compact and simple in shapes, ideal for a first try at the process.
Kathryn Raffell, 2014, maquette in clay, 15cm high.
After several steps, this is the final one. The moulds are all sitting in the pit waiting for the bronze to be at the right temperature to pour. They remind me of the Canopic jars that the Eqyptians used to store the organs of their dead kings.
Kathryn Raffell, 2014, Photograph of bronze moulds prior to pouring.
And this photograph shows the top of the my mould as we are waiting for it to cool enough to open.
Kathryn Raffell, 2014, My Bronze casting still in its mould.
Several weeks, and processes, later and the finished bronze is revealed. I am really pleased with the amount of detail that I was able to get. I should have left the clay model to harden as I realized that some areas have been flattened i.e the back of the hair. The hair is longer because the neck cracked on the clay so I innovated a solution so that I could use her. As a first attempt not bad! The process is long and fiddly and I can see now why a bronze costs so much to buy.
Kathryn Raffell, 2014, Untitled, Bronze, 10cm tall.
Kathryn Raffell, 2014, Untitled, clay, 15cmx5cm.
My studies have moved to exploring the figure in sculptural form. In response to the female nudes that Jenny Saville paints. I have sculpted a voluptious female form in clay.
Kathryn Raffell, 2014, Untitled, clay, tissue paper, pva glue, 15cmx5cm.
Instead of painting the clay figure I thought I would “wrap” her in paper as if she was wearing patterned clothing. I like the effect very much, it works well although I am not sure of the choice of actual pattern. It needs to be bolder!
