I had started to get worried about my works direction and feeling a little flat and uncertain. Leafing through a natural history book on shells etc. and a lovely Peter Randall-Page book with some lovely images in was helpful. Then I looked afresh at my found objects, decaying Cactus leaves, broken shells, animal scull, pitted volcanic rock etc., they have so much to offer. I soon started to cheer up and get the excitement and focus back!
Have seen a great clip of Eleanor Crook making an emaciated man, using wax. Great to watch how expertly she made a really believable face. The wax looked lovely and pliable and yet I got the impression it was quite stable enough for when she displays and stores her work. Would like to discover what wax she is using and give it a try.
Have improved the warming technique for larger quantities of waxes that melt at body temperature. I just put it in a plastic bag then put that in the hot water, which prevents any water accidentally contaminating the wax, seems obvious now.
I made plans to get advice/ practical help with my photography, as I want to document my sculptures properly. But as often happens all did not go to plan… Unfortunately on the allotted day the flu got the better of my advisor. Hope he is feeling better soon, (but glad he did not stay and give it to me!)
So, Thought I had better stop being chicken and just have a go myself. Took longer than I expected to get all the lighting sorted and backdrop etc. But once I started to take the photos… well, what fun! Continued to have problems with the backdrop as it liked to crinkle and crease etc. I had to dash at the end of my photo session to pick up the children. Thank goodness my camera battery ran out as I was finding it hard to drag myself away! Every angle, every adjustment in lighting helped inform me about my own work! It’s likely that I have lots of photos that won’t be as good as I first think, but I am not too worried as I got so much out of the process. Taking the photos just seemed to introduce me to my work afresh. Seeing new angles and interesting plays with the light helped me clarify in my head what was working for me in the sculptures and what needed more thought. Weight, density, texture, interplay of the forms construction all became a little clearer.
