I sculpt, then I smoosh, then I sculpt and smoosh it again. For two days I've been working on the same piece. The clay has been behaving oddly, I'm finding colour on my hands (panic!) that I can't figure out the source and have re-sculpted the mouth over and over and over again. At one point, the face looked more like a skull in a Nazi officer cap. Then it looked like a bug, followed by someone whose lips puffed up due to some horrific allergic reaction. I've pulled out my "How to sculpt a face" book, watched a few videos on line (thank goodness for the pause button), and looked at other work just to try to get the basics right. I am not attempting realistic, just recognizable.
The face is finally finished. My problem now is that this piece is looking just too much like a previous work. It didn't start out that way, but is certainly headed down that path. Deadlines are not always good for art.
This go round I have enjoyed working more than I did even a week ago. Turning off the phone, television and shutting down Facebook helped. Playing the Gregorian Monks was very relaxing, though may be a contributing factor in terms of the macabre appearance. Hmmm, not sure why one should follow the other. While this work is a little dark in terms of mood, it feels comfortable. After I get the oven cleaned (homemade pizza is messy) and can fire the clay, I can move on to the next step. We'll see how it comes out.
