Back for some time now, what have I been doing? Weeks ago, eager to start the mold for Cyclops, I constructed the webbing inside the head as described in Un-puzzled, and discovered it wasn’t going to work after all. Dang. If it were symmetrical and even like my sketch, it might have worked, but it is so close on the sides that there will be no room to withdraw the mold section from the interior. So I fussed over it, and concluded I’d have to cut the model apart into two pieces, mold them separately, and rejoin the pieces as waxes later. Not a problem, except I won’t be able to cast whole one-piece plastic or plaster versions. It will have to be metal, and that’s fine, simpler really. (note to self: But to be un-simple – maybe later I’ll devise a way to cast a plastic version by doing two pours on one piece, by a mold that fits onto the first poured piece and the second piece then flows onto and attaches to the first poured piece.)

I started to work on the surface treatment, very ready with a good attitude about what I wanted, but the modeling clay I use is too soft in this weather, which is still warm, low to mid 80’s, to get the detail in the material that I want. I tried to work in the basement, which is cooler, but it is too dreary when it is so nice outside. Now I’ve had two false starts of resuming work on this piece, and I finally figure out that I should just find something else to work on for a while. there are several other projects I could be doing while the weather is still good outside and into the Fall season. Pour cement guys in molds I already have, make new molds of carved beach rock pieces, perhaps rough out another wood sculpture from a trunk section I have, or try some plein air modeling of a cabbage in the garden, seriously, I’ve been wanting to try it, and a weird equestrian sculpture I have in my head which is coming out of nowhere in relation to my usual contexts.

Besides all this, I fell into the habit of drawing from nature in my sketchbook during my vacation at the beach, something I haven’t done in decades. Saturday morning or at work during lunch I’ll try to draw a view of landscape, the larger view, in 30 minutes or so. I’m surprised how much I enjoy doing it, although they’re not much. I’m not very good, but I have a personal style to develop.