There's a ridiculous amount of planning that goes into sculpting. I keep finding myself surprised at how much I've come to take it all for granted as "just part of the technical process" when I'm explaining things to people.... planning from the start how it will functionally stand. What the final media(s) will be. All these seemingly obvious technical issues that I sort of forget aren't normal for most any other type of art. You can't just create a sculpture, you have to plan it backwards pretty much. ***
Anyhow, so in planning backwards my next sculpture as a mental diversion while I work out some paaaaaainstaking technical issues with my most recent swimming gal (and also on the side I"ve been embroiled in some final fun(!) but technical details on glazes for Kiplings.. the icing on the cake fun part!)... anyhow, well I came up with some more firm ideas for a chariot horse pair I'd like to start in on next.
(above last) This last one here of course would require a base but it's a lot more typical to the pose you see of horses pulling chariots - the semi-rear & lunge forward pose. It's of course wonderful but again, I'd like to avoid a base for both. Having a base for just one would add further to complications as well. I'd REALLY like for there to be 2 that can work as separate sculptures but ideally be a matched pair.
The technical dilemmas are myriad and I'm just taking a tiny break here to share a couple quick sketches... but this is the gist of what I'd like to do. Heads and legs in 2 different but very much "matched" poses. & I'd also like to capture that just launching off look while still making them standing without bases.
For the swimming mare, the last of my dilemmas are being addressed today as I put on the last of her veins.... she's really quite done. I just need to make her seaweed match up now enough so that when I get the castings back and insert the magnets (I'm doing this part for each myself - for this reason there will be a cheaper option to get her without the magnets & /or seaweed because UGH it's going to be tricky!)...I need for these to align reliably every time. And there is LOTS of room for slight warble or warpage of such thin seaweed as it comes out of the mold warm. Even my own 2 copies I have here have had variation. Even with metal rods, the warm resin is just flexible. It doesn't make the idea base, fragile and flexible when heated! Buuuuut it completes the picture best.
It just occurred to me to post my swimming girl's conceptual sketches for fun again too;
As you can see maybe, the "how will this stand" engineering of her has been the trickiest part of the matter.. an issue that I've been considering, reconsidering and taking suggestions on since before I started even twisting the armature wire! I've had more than a few painters who tell me they could never find the artistic inspiration if they had to plan and consider so thoroughly from the start and before even starting.. but honestly it does make the work more magical to me if, beyond the mere "inspiration" there is deep thought to a great deal of the composition from all aspects in order to preserve the idea for the viewer to appreciate rather than having the idea get lost as something unintended (sculpture leans, lighting can't get cast onto the face easily without specially arranged lights.. etc).. And fortunately going forward in metal at least (not fine bone china, this is not a work for china as is, eh?! lol!).. the wavey kelp-like seaweed will make a delightful (and plenty sturdy) base in most metals when I get that cast someday.. but the majority of my sales will be resin so my focus has been how to make it work so my casters, myself and my customers all can enjoy it and not curse the poorly thought out plan.... lets hope in a few days I can reveal my solution to the matter. And with that, back to work! :D
***PS before anyone smacks me! ;) I of course acknowledge that most art is best when thought out! Most just aren't as cumbersome and technically daunting in engineering. It's more like building a house in some respects. You really have to be a patience type to carry the enthusiasm into the work after you've labored over the framework and thought out how you will manage the final casting & display / installation for customers. :D
