Jurassic, parked

Only a semi-productive day; Denise had doctor's appointments in the morning, and isn't up to driving herself yet, (Pneumonia takes a lot out of you) so I missed the cool part of the studio day. Didn't make many new bits, just neck and tail. Then worked at assembling the old ones. Everything I've built so far is hollow, down to the feet, so I pierce the side before adding the thigh. Don't want any trapped air spaces, as they don't dry properly, will blow out in firing.

This is a very tricky point to work. The clay is firm enough to handle easily, but if I put too much weight on it, it'll break. I wound up patching one of the legs, plus a dew claw that got pushed out of place. After dealing with the body, I built a longer neck and attached it to the head. Not sure yet how I'll pose it when I add it to the body. Think I'll need to make the arms and the book first, see how they interact. Guess I'd better wrap it up tight.

After all the bits are assembled, I propped things into position with sponges and lumps of clay, then wrapped the unfinished part of the torso tightly in plastic (dry-cleaner's bags are best). Then I just walked away, left it uncovered 'til evening to let the whole thing get dryer and stronger. Hoping the legs and tail line up well enough to stand up, because I can't test it until morning at the earliest.

Tomorrow I've got a full day, and it's supposed to be cooler, so I'm hoping to get a good bit further.