Progress and a portrait

More photos of new work very early on in the process. I've got two things rolling at the minute - a smaller piece I'm thinking of as "Thicket", which is made out of Castilene...



...and a maquette of the new large figure that might be called "Your Roots", but which I'm thinking of as the Madonna Of The Sword. A link to an earlier post with the reference image can be found here.



Nice to have two things cooking. In my experience, working in bas-relief means moving very quickly from form to detail, which means that the process is slow almost from the beginning. Having two things gives me a nice chance to change focus, and to come back with a new perspective.

On a technical note, In the recent heat we've had, I've noticed that it's better to work the maquette in the morning, when the Sculpey is still a little hard and easier to blend, and then move to the Castilene in the afternoon, when it's a little softer and easier to carve. There's something satisfyingly old school about scheduling your day around your materials.

Finally, here's a shot I happened to snap of myself on my way out of the studio. Still got that Hapsburg lip, but I thought the light was nice.