REDUCTIVE MOVES

PLASTER SCULPTURE

INTERMIEDIATE 3-D ART

plaster of paris & carving tools

I just found these great in-progress shots of Rachel's

Abstracted Figure that I posted the other day.

I think it's important to see the process part way thru sometimes.

For me personally,

thinking about and sculpting in a Reductive technique is quite painful.

At least it was in High School and College.

I haven't gone there again as an older adult.

But now that I'm a senior citizen or a mid-lifer

and as Barbara Strauch says in the book The Secret Life of the Middle Aged Brain,

I am much happier and more creative

(which incidentally I am!)

I should give it one more try.

Maybe when I retire

hee hee

EXPERIMENTS IN CONCRETE & PLASTER

SPECIAL STUDIES 3-D ART

4TH YEAR 3-D INDEPENDENT STUDY

balloon, concrete & plaster

Last year senior Shreya Shah saw a couple ideas on Pinterest that she wanted to try out

that would fit into her 3-D area of study.

She saw someone modeling/sculpting with concrete & plaster over a balloon.

She found the concrete incredibly difficult to control,

and way more grainy/lumpy bumpy then she thought it would be...

but she ended up with a pretty cool garden sculpture;

painting the inside with acrylic cooper paint.

And even though she had done some Plaster Figure Sculpture in 2nd year 3-D,

that was a reductive way of working versus this additive technique 

that was messy then crumbly when dry.

She was trying for a smooth lip all the way around but I sure like the broken edge effect.

And then I really like what she did with the broken off lip pieces.

She glued them down into a heart shape.

You have always been a gutsy lady Shreya.

I admire your determination and drive to try out new ideas!
You are fearless  :)

WHAT'S UP IN ROOM 18?

PLASTER SCULPTURE

INTERMEDIATE 3-D ART

plaster of paris, empty milk cartons, acrylic paint, carving tools, wood

Here's senior Kaili Hamada,

 not really sure if she likes the feel of the plaster thickening on her arm as she mixes her brew.

then above we have kili and senior bianca Tolentino carving away at their abstract figure sculptures.

It's a very messy process so I have the kids work outside my door.

And below senior Daphne Chiang uses her sweatshirt (clever girl)

to keep the sawdust out of her sinuses as she sands her wooden mount for her sculpture.

The finished works are creative and varied, 

and I'm so pleased with the results.

The kids put their hearts into this very difficult reductive sculpting process.

This year the girls asked if we could open up the requirements a bit so that they had a choice

 between sculpting an abstract figure or a non-objective work.

Absolutely. 

Both are challenging and require the use of critical problem solving.

Besides sculpting in plaster they also had to mount their pieces on wood.

Above is Kaili's finished work,

and below we have Bianca's piece,

both girls choosing to do an abstract figure.

What's so impressive to me is how differently they all turned out,

 and really showcase their individual personalities.

Daphne challenged herself with the non-objective choice

which I personally feel is a bit more difficult.

She thought so too.

But I think she did a great job,

and the mounting is extraordinary.

Plaster Figurative Sculptures - Student Work

Here is another figurative project done by a different group of kids, my second year 3-d students.  Even though the kids complain the whole way thru this assignment, the end results are so worth it.  And what could they possibly be complaining about you ask?  Days and days of subtractive carving, not being able to see the finished product right off the bat.  Getting full of plaster dust, is the end in sight??  And then that's only the first 1/2 of the assignment.  After the plaster figure dries out, they need to sand it and build their own mounting block.  Like I said, the results are so worth it.  Here we go!

Senior Tiffany Lee starts us off with this crazy, amazing work.  Her figure reminds me so much of the opening of the Dobie Gillis Show in the 1960" that I used to watch everyday after school.  The show opens with a statute of "The Thinker" by Rodin in a park-like setting with Bob Denver (first Dobie then he played Gilligan) sitting in front of it contemplating his kooky life.  Only Tiffany's "Thinker" is more abstract with a much more intense look on his face.  I adore this piece and the simple mount she put it on.  Brilliant Tiff! 

I really love the piece of wood she chose.  Looks kind of like it was a piece of old molding that has been ripped from a wall and knowing me, I probably dug it out of a trash can somewhere before it caught Tiffany's eye.

Now Mr. Z, our Physics teacher, is the proud owner of this work.  He bought it from Tiffany at Open House.

This next piece by senior Sheila San Agustin, was really an innovative work.  I'm loving how she brought in a piece of fabric for a cape with a wonderful silver button to hold it in place.  And then her wood mount was so well thought out.  Check out how she uses those recycled nails!

Then we have another talented senior, Ashley Chowdhury.   Notice the wonderful detail on the rib cage area, the military type shoulder accents, lace skirt, and how she has used the pearls throughout the whole piece.  And can you find the fine shards of glass?  

And when you look closely at both Sheila and Ashley's plaster, you can see that both girls marbled acrylic pigment into the wet plaster before it set up.  I have the kids use old milk cartons to pour their plaster into.  It's their choice it it stays white or if they add color.  

Next is senior Amy Hsu, one of my favorite all-time students, right up there with you Christi Conners  LOL.  Amy went all out with her finishes.  She poured the acrylic paint right over-top her sculpture (takes guts), painted/stained her woodblock, then finished up with glass shards.  Fantastic job kiddo!

And this last one by senior Julia Faith Chanco was everyone's favorite.  We were all drawn to her piece's voluptuous form.  People at Open House were fighting over owning this work, that's how powerful it was.  The very lucky owner is junior Judy Shih  :)  Masterful young Julia!  Miss you mama.