After my mad rush staying up late making molds for the TN Craft Fair in order to be able to demonstrate the processes of mold making and casting (which were new to me), I wound up being discouraged after seeing places on the resin cast sculptures that were in need of repair.
Above you'll see the resin casting I made from one of my sculptures. I painted this a little prematurely, but the long white blob going down the back of the piece is the first phase of beginning to repair the back surface, where an uneven zig zag showed, a residue from the silicone mold that has to be cut with an exacto knife in order to remove the original sculpture from underneath the silicone. My next work on the piece will be to sand the white repair material in order to make the casting smooth, repaint the repaired surface, and then put on a protective coating. Not long after this, I saw the painstaking repair process that a seasoned and exceptionally talented sculptor on Instagram, Brian Booth Craig, was going through as he was correcting the small inevitable imperfections made during a bronze casting of one of his pieces. Watching his video helped me realize that the imperfections made during the casting phase of a piece are just part of it, and that part of the art of making art, is realizing how to painstakingly repair those imperfections and taking the time to do it.
And speaking of repairs...during this time, I've realized that my cast sculptures were not the only thing in need of repair. In my rush to make molds before the craft fair, it involved a great deal of stirring of very viscous materials and applying 4-6 coats of the materials that will eventually turn into silicone rubber as it dries on the original sculpture. After the silicone rubber mold was completed, I then had to make outer plaster-like molds, which required squeezing two types of material together repeatedly for lengthy periods of time and then pressing that onto the silicone mold. All of that resulted in...carpal tunnel, especially in my right hand. Ouch!So here I am today, not really able to sculpt at the moment, but I'm using this time to do a bit of the business of art, like writing this blog, reminding my bank that I can't connect them to my website until their corrections are completed, watching videos of master sculptors teaching in order to feel prepared for two week long sculpting workshops this summer, applying to other craft fairs, petting my cat, watching birds, watering my flowers, and taking long walks in nature. I'm just at that point where I know that I need to take a break to refuel.
I guess I haven't mentioned how much I wish I could go to the beach right now. Guess I'll just have to dream of it or dredge up old beach memories.
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