This is my new sketchbook. I am letting the Seawhite book rest for the moment, I needed a change of size for now, kinda like needing a new haircut. Except, I know I'll go back to the Seawhite book eventually. This was a spontaneous purchase, but I'm enjoying the size, and the paper was good enough for my purposes. Don't worry Seawhite book, I'm not cheating on you, ok yes I am, but you have important dreams to stew on while I explore. Promise you'll be there when I need you?
This is the second drawing in small-leathery-bound-book. (it needs a NAME. Perhaps I shall call it "Tiger Lily", inspired by this drawing. I'll think on it. I kinda want to include the word 'Caveat' in the name. I am dedicating this book to skill building PLUS. I want every page to include something I am drawing or painting from life.
Anyway, it was a productive day in the studio. I worked on an old painted series commission - illustrations for a children's poem book - hopefully I'll finish more of it tonight, as I may be seeing the commissioner this weekend. I also worked on a sculpture commission... its truly magic trying to create a skeletal torso. The basics of the ribs are done and hopefully I can start wildly building on it next session.
I also toyed with the idea of creating plaster molds from clay. I really want to create a mold from my own arm, so I experimented to see if I could do this with the fingers. The idea just dawned on me out of the blue.
I covered my fingers and part of my hand with CLAY. It took a while as the clay wasn't the most supple... But I kept at it. I removed my fingers carefully and filled the holes with plaster.
Almost an hour later, I removed the clay from the molding and This is the outcome! Its not a super clean mold (the clay was a bit loose and crackly near the fingers) but what a cool texture. I think I'll keep it as is and paint it.
Maybe I'll try my whole arm with smoother clay.
After playing with clay and plaster, I moved onto prose, and finished two found poems. I used some text a friend sent me in the mail and mixed it with some Dante's Inferno, (from 2 different translations) and other miscellaneous pre-cut words (I keep a box with all the extras I don't use - as I create found prose, I cut out a lot of words and phrases that strike me, then I arrange them in tantalizing combinations.) I am not ready to share these creations yet, but here is a sneak peek!
Well, I gotta either go to sleep or get back to work! Goodnight!
I plan to keep up with this again, I think this sketchbook will yell at me to art and tell.
