Art Spirit Doll Amphitrite

I like Spirit Dolls and Art dolls so I made Art Spirit Doll. Spirit Dolls are an ancient talisman against all negativity and in the Greek mythology, the goddess of Amphitrite is the goddess of the sea. So I choose those two concepts for my doll. 

Supplies:

120 g Natural Makin's Clay®

Makin's®  Basic Tool Set

Tissue paper 

Painters tape

wooden skewer

driftwood or something else as a base

Acrylic Paint

aluminum wire

Crinkle wire

Instructions:

It all started with some natural Makin's Clay®, tissue paper, a wooden skewer, painters tape and driftwood.

As a first step, I wrapped some tissue paper around the wooden skewer. I spritzed it lightly with some water and pressed it together. With the painters tape I attached it all together to the dowel. Make sure that you leave enough skewer uncovered for the later montage of your doll. But make also sure that your skewer goes up into the head. Depending on the size you plan your doll you need an according skewer length. (Mine was peaking out about 2 inches) Remember you always can cut back, but not add....

 

For the arms I used aluminum wire. I wrapped it around the upper body and crossed it in the back.

Next I added a bit more tissue paper and again wrapped it with painters tape.

Now it was time to grab the Makin's Clay®. I used little pieces and formed them by hand in little oval thin pieces. I simply pressed them right onto the painter's tape, starting from the bottom and overlapping them.

I didn't smooth out anything except the face, for which I used a wet towel. I also used a tool from the Makin's Clay®  Basic Tools to define the neck a bit.

For each arm I formed a more elongated piece from the clay and wrapped it around the wire. I made sure that the seam is in the back and went in again with the tool to smooth out the gaps.

I let the figure dry for two days before I went in with some acrylic paint. I started by adding some black all over and then remove most of it with a wet towel. This leaves more paint in the crevices and gives a more aged look. Next I went in with some transparent acrylic paint, it is the easiest if you use some fluid paint. I applied it all over wearing gloves, so I could massage the paint in.

Again everything had to dry before I could apply different types of Rub on Waxes. I choose the colors blue iridescent, copper and just a hint of black again. Don't forget to polish the waxes afterwards to get a nice sheen. I also added some crinkle wire all around. 

I added my doll to the driftwood by making a hole into the driftwood and adding some beads as little feet for the lower driftwood. This step is very much depending on what base you use. So there are no further instructions for this step.

The Red Dress Sculpture

The Red Dress by Iris Rodriguez 

Hello Makers!

One thing about creating with clay is you’ll always will have scraps. However, that does not have to be the end of your clay; just reuse the clay. One way to reuse Makin’s Clay scraps is by placing them in a sealable bag; spray with water and let it soak for a couple of days. It turns into a thick paste that you use to sculpt relief type pieces. As you work through your piece if it’s too wet, let it sit out for a bit it begin to harden. Conversely, add water to make it soft again. After completing your piece, let it dry for a day or more, depending on the thickness. Then finish it off with paints or waxes. Check out how I made my red dress using this process.

Materials:

Makin's Clay®– White, Black
DecoArt Americana Acrylic Paint-Santa Red
Baroque Art Gilders Paste- Slate, Cream
Finnabair-Ruby Red Metallic Wax
Ziploc Bag
Substrate-Canvas or wooden cradled board

Instructions:

Begin by selecting a substrate. Here I used the lid of a cigar box, I used the main box for another project, so I was left with just the lid. Makin’s Clay® is lightweight, so you can safely use a canvas. Or you can use a wooden cradled (shadowbox) or flat board.  

Place the clay in a sealable bag and spray water into it, ensuring to soak the clay thoroughly. Allow the clay to soak for a day, then check on the clay. At this point you can determine the viscosity of the clay. The consistency can vary from a mash potatoes to a soft dough. I would recommend something in this range. If it’s not soft enough, add more water and allow it to soak some more. If it’s too soft, take it out of the bag and let it sit out for about 20 mins; it will begin to harden.

When handling the clay, your hand will get dirty. Don’t worry, Makin’s Clay® does not stain your hand or your surface. Nor does it leave residue. Clean up is very easy; Makin’s Clay® is water soluble. As you work through your piece, clean hand with wet paper/cloth towel. Wipe your surface with water and paper/cloth towel.

Sculpt your piece. Recommend sculpting pieces that can take advantage of the irregular texture. Think wabi sabi, abstract, no rules…just create. Allow your piece to dry for one to three days, depending on the thickness.

Paint with gesso; it helps the paint to better adhere to your piece. 

Paint the dress with a makeup sponge or brush. I added a little Ruby Red metallic wax on top of the paint to give a little shine

Using Slate and Cream Baroque Gilders Paste wax, add some color to the background.

And just like that, you have a new dress, lol! Enjoy!

Sculpted Fox by Lex Sorrentino

Artist Lex Sorrentino has done it again - she always amazes us with her artwork created with Makin's Clay®!  Most recently Lex shared this amazing fox sculpture. See more of Lex's creative work on her Facebook Page - Sculptural Emanations.

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Ladies in White Art Doll Shadowbox

Artist Lex Sorrentino recently shared another of her amazing sculptural art doll pieces created with Makin's Clay®!  Lex used face molds from Merilyn Thomas and hand sculpted the bodies and clothing. 

Freeform Fish Sculptural Workshop

Artist Lex Sorrentino will again be sharing the wonderful world of Makin's Clay® with students at the Contemporary Art Retreat in Australia this October! Lex is teaching a workshop on how to create this amazing sculptural hollow form fish.   Find out more about this amazing creative event, October 27-30, 2017, in Canberra, Australia,  here.

Sculpted Dress Decorative Panel

Design Team Member Donna Budzynski recently shared this fantastic piece featuring two techniques using Makin's Clay® created on a wooden panel - working with liquified clay and sculpting!   You can find her full tutorial on her blog in the link above.

Sculptural Lady by Lex Sorrentino

Artist Lex Sorrentino often works with Makin's Clay® and we are always amazed at what she creates.   She recently shared some of her new work on here her Facebook page - Sculptural Emanations.    Lex uses a number of techniques in the creation of her elegant sculptures including sculpting, extruding, and liquifying Makin's Clay®.

 

Stunning Sculpture from Lex Sorrentino

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/94083079690198422/

We at Makin's Clay® are continually awed by the creative abilities of artist Lex Sorrentino - and this piece from our Pinterest Board is just one example of why - Cindi