FMD #14

Below is a two-minute video in regular time. It looks a bit odd to have the top of the sculpture sliced off but I have done that in anticipation of placing the hat on next. The silver tool that I am using is called a loop tool. It has a small wire oval loop on one end and a larger more square wire loop on the other end. This is used for detailing, removal of clay and general smoothing away of lumps and clay crumbles.

Now that the hat is started, I need to do some surgery. I slice the top of the sculpture on the angle that the hat will be placed and remove the clay. I can then place the hat on her head and remove it at will while I am working. This is   important because the hat makes it very difficult to get to all the areas to work. Remember - it is important to continue to bring all areas up to the same level of completion a bit at a time. If I jump to the hair and complete it I’m guaranteed that it will be wrong in the end. Same with the eyes, nose and lips - I must work on them a bit - but then work on the clothes, or the hat or the hair - bringing each section to the same level of completion.

Fannie Mae had lovely, soulful eyes - it will be a pleasure to get to the final sculpting phase soon where I get really define the lovely shape and pretty expressive qualities of her eyes and lips. That will be coming soon - once I am sure of the hat, hair and clothing….

I have temporarily place the hat on her head to check the attitude and symetry. Fannie Mae Duncan often wore dangling earrings and I have roughed in some simple tear drop shapes for the moment. The types of earrings she preferred to wear will not cast well in bronze. First, it would be very difficult to get the molten metal to pour well into small thin areas. Second - even if we poured it separately and welded onto the sculpture it would always be weak and prone to breakage or to vandalism. This means that I will either need to simplify the earrings quite a bit for bronze or need to choose to make them more like post-earrings that do not dangle. One of the many practical considerations for sculpture.

I have suggested the lapels on her suit and the iconic double horse shoe pin she wore and these items will be refined along with the rest of the sculpture.