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Thursday, September 27, 2012

Second Childhood




I have been having so much fun playing with air-dry clay and making art dolls. I feel like I am in my second childhood thanks to my wonderful new friends on Lorrie Jonas and Pamela Joy’s Joyful Art Ning site

Last month I wanted to make an art doll using a beer bottle as my armature. I decided to make a jester like clown because the long neck of the bottle reminded me of some of the ‘Alice in Wonderland’ images. I used Super Dough air-dry clay designed for children to make the doll. I purchased it last year to make Christmas decorations, but I did not use it. I wish I had, as I would have never used it for this project. Although the dough is smooth and easy to work with, it takes a long time to dry and it never really becomes completely hard. I believe it is because of the wheat ingredient in it. It is actually dough. The other problem I had was all the cracks from shrinkage. My Friend Laura Thykeson  read on Dick Blick’s site that all air dry shrinks to some degree, especially when it is applied to a rigid armature. Because of the designs I embed in the clay I was able to disguise most of them with the addition of more clay when the doll was dry. I used metallic paint to enhance the festive appearance. All of this fantasy stuff is new to me, but it is a lot of fun to play like a little girl again.

Here are a few of the steps:


11 comments:

  1. Love the blog, Eva!! Looks great...I thought I had already joined, but now I have for sure!! Thanks for mentioning me in your blog post!!!

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  2. Thank you Laura,for joining my blog and for being such a great online friend.

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  3. Stupid questions - do you use a beer bottle that is filled with beer or is it empty? do you remove the bottle once you have molded around it? I think working 3 dimensionally after so much time spent painting 2 dimensionally is an exhilarating change. Love the jester's face too.

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  4. LOL Robin, It's not a stupid question. I used an empty bottle. I just didn't have one when I took the picture. I don't drink and the beer is only for my beer drinking guests. I didn't remove the bottle. In fact someone suggested that I put something in it to make it rattle, which I did. I used dried beans.

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  5. I love this--I might have to switch my guests from cans to bottles.

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  6. LOL Hallie! Nice to hear from you again. If you try this use use a different kind of air dry clay ;o)

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  7. What fun! I tried clay this year...the self drying kind and like you felt the little girl return. Your jester has a definite Wonderland look!!

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  8. Thank you Mary Ann. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who remembers what fun it is to play.

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  9. What a lovely creative piece Eva! I had similar questions as Robins, thanks for your answer!May be we can try similar one with the cardboard tube that is inside the kitchen roll?

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  10. Thank you Padmaja. A cardboard tube may work, but I am not sure how the moisture would effect it or if it would be strong enough to withstand the modeling of the clay. It would fun to try.Anne Bagby molded bathroom tissue cardboard tubes into faces with out clay. Maybe I'll write about it next time.

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  11. Awesome, Eva!! What a cute character you have created!!! xoxoxox

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