An interesting bust

Image | December 11, 2023December 18, 2023 | Nhturner

Having learnt the simple but essential basics of crafting a bust and making our own, we were tasked with planning to cut and thoughtfully reassemble our head, attached to objects that we identify with.

I decided on cutting into a spiral with a thin supporting clay ribbon for support.

It fired well, i had thought of using old nails from my fathers tool kit or embedding barbed wire, but then felt that they were depressing tropes. Closer to my current identity I decided was a head full of paint and drawing and painting tools

poking out. I used yellow spray paint (very pungent odour)

And the used colored hot glue to represent oozing paints from the cuts in my head. Initially I tried long strips of colour but settled on a spectrum of colour as messy as an artists palate

I had a collection of broken pencils and useless brushes and glued them into the pre fired holes

Artist’s Dilemma, terracotta, hot glue and artists tools

I consider it a success, the bust did meet the plan, if in an eccentric way . The class produced a group of very different successful pieces.

The two most interesting busts:

Alex’s hanging bust, the most personal and interesting

Painting is not drawing

December 7, 2023December 18, 2023 | Nhturner

painting a self drawing , a very good lesson in light tone and colour, above is a monotype I made from a large A1 portrait.

i built up blocks of colour looking for shadows

after a quick lesson in colour theory and planes I produced a painting. I changed the background to give the portrait more space. I feel that I learnt a lot in one painting but have a long way to go, especailly in looking and understanding tonal differences

Cutting up heads

Image | December 7, 2023December 18, 2023 | Nhturner

I missed a vital week because of Covid. Returning to my rather grim bust i had the task of cutting up and planning a reconstruction.

Having learnt to hollow out my bust for firing, and enjoying the wonderful plasticity of clay, I decided to cut it into a spiral. Discussing with Ben if it was possible ( the clay would collapse unless supported ) I tried a thin supporting ribbon , tracing then cutting a spiral.. the clay bent in places but i succeeded in a single spiral

After a discussion with Ben I incised two extra spirals

After firing i plan to insert pencils and paint brushes in pre positioned holes and to have paint like substance spilling from the spiral cuts. I plan to use quick drying hot glue. To finish the bust I will either spray it a bright yellow or cover with strips of paper from an art magazine. It depends on what finish the terracota will take.

Clay glorious clay, thinking in three dimensions

Image | December 4, 2023December 18, 2023 | Nhturner

Over three weeks we have learnt about the properties of clay

The lesson is thinking and planning in three dimensions. During the last weeks we have produced work on paper, drawing , painting , printing,….now we entered the third and most difficult dimension. From tone and line we have to consider bulk, weight, texture shadow.

Starting with a set of head shots and a large lump of red clay we learnt to look at our heads, the enormous bulk behind our ears, the spacing of our features

It was deeply satisfying to learn to gouge out eye sockets, make eyeballs, eye lids, lips … three muscles in the top, two in the bottom. As usual in all self portraits I produced a portrait of my father, more spitting image than joseph epstein.