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offcntrMade a lot of progress, yesterday. I'm working half days on the sculpture, afternoons, as a reward for doing taxes in the morning. I've got all the Schedule C's, 1099's (INT, DIV, R, B) and even the form 1041 for Denise's late mother's trust pretty much done, so I get to go back to Mumfrey.
First, I slab over the back, fill in the sides and up over the shoulders. Once that's all reinforced inside, scraped and smoothed outside, it's time to add the head.
I decide that the tail looks a little short, so make that the wing tips instead, and prepare an extension to go underneath. I use the narrow bits of scrap slab with my trusty scale-making roller to build a sturdy pair of legs.
I firm up the tail a little more by leaning it on the space heater, then attach and smooth it, matching planes and edges. Since the tail is hollow, I make a vent into the body to permit air circulation and evaporation. I'd hate to blow the tail off in the firing. Lastly, I get out some red stoneware to fashion a hamster-appropriate saddle. It's currently separated by a little plastic. I'll wrap the quail and leave the saddle uncovered overnight. By the next day it should be about the same stiffness, so safe to attach. (If I'd put it on wet, it would shrink and crack away in drying.
I sorta feel like the head may be a little undersized for the body, but in the story, Mumfrey is a specially-bred riding quail, too heavy to fly, so I assume his body is more turkey-sized than quail sized. Or so I rationalize not cutting it off and starting over...
First, I slab over the back, fill in the sides and up over the shoulders. Once that's all reinforced inside, scraped and smoothed outside, it's time to add the head.
I decide that the tail looks a little short, so make that the wing tips instead, and prepare an extension to go underneath. I use the narrow bits of scrap slab with my trusty scale-making roller to build a sturdy pair of legs.
I firm up the tail a little more by leaning it on the space heater, then attach and smooth it, matching planes and edges. Since the tail is hollow, I make a vent into the body to permit air circulation and evaporation. I'd hate to blow the tail off in the firing. Lastly, I get out some red stoneware to fashion a hamster-appropriate saddle. It's currently separated by a little plastic. I'll wrap the quail and leave the saddle uncovered overnight. By the next day it should be about the same stiffness, so safe to attach. (If I'd put it on wet, it would shrink and crack away in drying.
I sorta feel like the head may be a little undersized for the body, but in the story, Mumfrey is a specially-bred riding quail, too heavy to fly, so I assume his body is more turkey-sized than quail sized. Or so I rationalize not cutting it off and starting over...