Today’s project is about very sweet boy who had recently passed away and is dearly missed.
Every time I’m contacted about a memorial piece my heart shakes, first because I know the sorrow of the moment and also because the expectations are high, I’m commissioned not to do just a sculpture of a dear friend, but of that one that the heart is aching for. I accept the works with deep respect and I need to be in a special connection mood to start such works, is not only the body one needs to capture, but the soul is a key part. I can’t just explain it but aside the technical efforts to get it right there is that thing in the air that make my hands make subtle changes of a expression or a tiny move here or there, it is then when the thing comes to life. I sometimes find myself looking at the clay, not yet completed piece, and breathing as if I would be looking at dog who is about to come to me, then is when I guess what its next move might be and need to capture it. There are no rules, there are no guidelines. That’s one of the reasons I like the freedom of the media I work, because despite being creating lifelike pieces I want to keep that sort of abstraction that sort of playful innocent look on my pieces. There must be something that seems to come from a dream, from the invisible side of life.
The subject of study this week is Jakie, a Skye Terrier, I received a bunch of photos and I tried to get the essentials before I put my hands on clay. The project was started today.
Pictures above show the preparation of the clay as I measure proportions of body. Jakie was once a show dog with full coat, but he shall be remembered as he was in later times, so this sculpture is going to be of a shaved Skye Terrier. I decided to carve this work. This process takes some time as I start with quite moist clay but then I need it to dry to a certain point where the long body won’t collapse. So, the right timing and a lot of patience is required.
The second group of photos show him as he shall be remembered, all pictures I got are from a high angle so I should use my imagination and anatomy knowledge to get it right. I decided for him to be looking up, as in most pictures he was very attentive to his mom as the photos were taken.
Follow the progress on Facebook, I’ll be sharing new photos and videos in the coming days.
Wish you all a great evening,
Barbara
When a friend leaves.
