Chucky!

Here is my latest figure.  He is made of mostly a mix of Studio by Sculpey and Super Sculpey.  The knife is removable and can be repositioned however one likes.  Hope you like him.

Tommie

New Sculpt, Clown Prince of Crime

Hey all, finally got pics taken of the last thing that I finished.  I have a couple of other things on the fire at the moment that I can hopefully get to over the holidays.  With prepping for the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show and what not, time might still be mighty slim.  Anyway here is a bust of the Joker (not the heath ledger one obviously).  It is sculpted primarily in Super Sculpey with some Kato Polyclay added here and there for color and strength.  Will try to get some better pics soon, but for now this is what I got.

Creepy movies of all time

Hmmm… Halloween is almost here and I thought I would muse a bit on the creepiest movies I have seen.  I call the post Creepy movies of all time, but of course I have not seen every movie ever made and therefore could have missed many.  I invite my gentle readers to chime in with their own lists.  Remember I am not listing the most shocking, the scariest, the goriest, or the most suspensful movies… just the creepiest.

In no particular order:

• Whatever Happened to Baby Jane
• It’s Alive (the original)
• Cable Guy
• Cape Fear (both)
• Identity
• Secret Window
• Hellraiser
• Jeepers Creepers
• Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the original)
• The Hills Have Eyes (either one)
• Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
• Single White Female
• Carnival of Souls (original one)
• Jacobs Ladder
• Rosemary’s Baby

Now see if you can think of others.

Tommie

The OTHER Polymer Clay: Gore, Gore, Gore

I thought I would send you all to visit a place with an appropriately seasonal name.  Now the subject matter is a mix of horror stuff, superhero stuff, and this and that, but the name sure says Hell’ o’ ween.  Gore Group is a conglomerate of sculptors and artists from Argentina.  On the site you can read bios of all the artists as well as a brief history of how the company began.  Their work is pretty amazing.  Of course not all of them use polymer clay, but the same ideas translate.  Some use wax, some casteline, some chavant… but all of them impress me.  There is a lot to see at Gore, Gore, Gore so spend a little time there and see what folks in Argentina are doing with their sculpting.

Tommie

Reaching into the Bag of Tricks: Smoothing

While a close inspection of my sculpting will no doubt prove it is not the case… I have actually been asked in classes if I have no or unusually shallow fingerprints.  I think my fingerprints are normal ones.  The key to making it look like I have no fingerprints lies in the various techniques and potions that I use to smooth my work.  I will run down a few tips here, and maybe if you have had struggles or haven’t found the method that best suits you, I can be of some small benefit.

First off I like to use a relatively stiff and dry clay.  Some clays like fimo can be very stiff but seem to have an almost oily surface feel that will take fingerprints like crazy.  Other clays may be dry enough but way too soft.  The key is finding one that best suits you.  Most often I use Kato Polyclay mixed with Super Sculpey or ProSculpt.  Sometimes leaching is required to get the clay to the proper consistency.

I also try to grip the clay very lightly.  As Katherine Dewey taught me years ago, it’s better to drop something than to smash it out of shape by holding it too tightly.  Sometimes I will even use a stand, a bead tool, or a hemostat to hold the piece on which I am working.

I try to use the largest possible tool that will still do the job.  While not a fingerprint issue, this does really help lessen tool marks left on the clay.

Lastly comes the potions, goops, sludges, and slurry that I use.  For different problems I use different stuff.  I do use 91% alcohol, lighter fluid, Sculpey Clay Softener (formerly called Diluent), and spit.  Over the last few months though there is something I have gone back to over and over again.  Lander Cocoa Butter Skin Cream works wonders for me.  This is a product most often found in Dollar Stores, but I found several sites online by doing a google search.  I use a little bit of the stuff (and I mean a LITTLE) on a brush or on the tool that I am using at the time, and it glides merrily along.  It is less messy due to its creamy consistency, it smells nice, is good on your hands, and if you get it at the dollar store you can get what seems to be a lifetime supply for a buck.  Give it a shot one of these days.  I can’t promise that it will work for everyone like it does for me, but if not, you are out a buck and will have the softest hands on the block.

Tommie

Reaching into the Bag of Tricks: Fabri-Tac

Many of you are probably well familiar with this product.  I had totally given up on making dolls before I discovered this glue.  I never could figure out the damned sewing machine.  But Fabri-Tac came to the rescue.  But there is a problem with it.  It seems that when you first open that bottle, to attach some hair or to make a cloak, it flows beautifully.  Then the next time you go to use it, it flows only kind of plainly.  The next time the flow is a bit homely.  The next time it flows downright fugly.  Well I have a little tip for you.  (It’s not that big a deal… hell it’s on the label,  but no one reads the damned labels anymore.)  That distinctive smell when you open up your Fabri-Tac is Acetone.  Go to your local Home Despot, or Lowes and pick up a container of acetone.  It comes in quite handy for many things like smoothing baked clay and what not.  But our use here is to THIN the Fabri-Tac!  I get a smaller bottle made of same kind of plastic as the original and transfer a good bit of the glue into the smaller bottle.  Then I add acetone a little bit at a time and stir it until it reaches the right consistency to once again flow beautifully.

The OTHER Polymer Clay: Wayne “The Dane” Hansen

Wayne “The Dane” Hansen has been a well known figure in the figurative model kit world for many years.  I met Wayne at a convention in Louisville, KY a few years ago and found him to be all about sharing his knowledge and his passion for sculpting.  His videos are exhaustive.  I own one of them and I believe it is over 8 hours long!  It doesn’t seem like his site has been updated in quite a long time, (I know who am I to talk) but he has a lot of great stuff there to look at.  You also get a glimpse into who Wayne is, I trust you will find him as personable and interesting as I have.

On Display in DC

Well, for a sculptor, this may seem odd but I have a piece on display currently at the Bead Museum in Washington, DC.  The theme of the current exhibit is celebrating beads so I created a kind of African bead trader to fit that theme.  It made it through the jury process and if you are in DC you can see it at the Bead Museum.

On Display at the Bead Museum

Visiting the Mystery House

I have wanted to visit the Winchester Mystery House since I first read about it as a kid.  The idea of a house so expansive and rambling as the Mystery House held great appeal to me.  This house was built by workmen hired by Sarah Winchester, heir to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, to work around the clock for nearly 40 years.  The house boasts doors to nowhere, stairways that lead right to the ceiling, windows in the floor, and a winding 7 flight, 44 step staircase that takes you a total of 10 vertical feet to the next level.  Mrs. Winchester seemed to think that she would be safe from the spirits of those killed by the Winchester rifle if she kept building onto her house.  It is a marvel to behold and an amazing feat of architecture for someone who never studied the discipline, nor drew up a single blueprint.

 

Lynne Ann in San Jose

Many of you know that in addition to sculpting, my main job is as assistant to Lynne Ann Schwarzenberg.  She is going to be teaching an amazing class in San Jose on April 5 and 6.  This class will be a hybrid class where the students will not only learn her floral caning (making 3 different flowers) but will also learn her wood grain and pendant construction techniques.  If you would like to join us in San Jose email us at riverpoet@comcast.net or visit the South Bay Polymer Clay Guild at www.sbpcg.com and they can get you signed up. 

Tommie