At least, that’s what they’re called at my local hardware store, here in Oregon.
But joint compound is called something else in other countries, and the Elmer’s brand isn’t available at all in some places. So – I’m hoping you can help out your fellow artists and craftpeople wherever you may live, and help me put together a list of product names for locally available materials that will work to make paper mache clay.
This video is the second in a series showing off the projects in my upcoming book Make Animal Sculptures With Paper Mache Clay. Sorry about the cat – very unprofessional of me. But at least she wasn’t making as much noise as usual…
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This is slightly off-topic, but have you read Donald Miller’s book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life I’m only half-way through it, and I already feel like I want to read it again. Do you ever run across a book, entirely by accident, that you know will somehow change your life? This is one of them. It fits right into the question so many of us are asking ourselves right now “What’s next?”
Now that my book is almost finished (still have to find a way to end it gracefully) I plan to start a series of horses. The horse I made for the book was so much fun, I’ve decided to do many more. I think I’ll borrow Xan’s idea and try to find a good cause that I can support with the sale of the horses. They’ll be fairly big, so the “cause” will need to be local. So – that’s my new challenge for the year. Wish me luck.
Today I’m posting a short video to introduce you to Project #1 in my upcoming paper mache book. You haven’t heard much from me in the last three months, because I’ve been working so hard on the new paper mache book. I think it will be called Make Animal Sculptures from Paper Mache Clay. I’ll let you watch the video first, and then I’ll tell you a bit more about the book and what I hope you’ll learn from it in the section below the video:
As you can see, (I hope – I’m obviously still trying to learn how to focus the video camera…) the first project in the book is fairly simple. I call it “the practice chicken,” because that’s exactly how I hope readers will use it.
(I actually thought up the idea of using videos in my posts because people claim it’s so much faster than writing. Hah! This one took me all day yesterday, and all morning today. I do hope they’ll be easier, and better, as I learn how to actually do it right. Wish me luck…)
I tend to buy lots of how-to books, and I think it’s frustrating to read a book all the way through and still not feel that I know how to use the skills the author tried to teach me. That’s why I think it’s so important to start off learning each required skill by doing a real project. I think the best way to learn is by doing. I organized the book so that each project will be just a little more challenging, but all the projects will use the same basic skills so readers get lots of practice. I also encourage readers to try the new skills with their own projects. After all – the true success of any how-to book comes when the reader takes what they’ve learned to create something entirely their own.
Writing a book like this has been an incredible adventure. I’ve learned the value of doing things over (I used to hate doing things over – now I actually enjoy seeing how much better things turn out when you get a bit of practice…).
Just as soon as Jessie (my book designer/typesetter/general book-creation expert) is back from vacation–she took a bit of time off the book project to prepare for the exhibit of her oil paintings–I should have all the chapters completely written and all the photos taken. Then she’ll take over and turn it all into a book, which should be available on amazon.com by the end of April.
Since my part of the book is almost all done, I’ll spend my “free” time learning how to make videos. After you’ve met all the “characters” in the book, I’ll start some short how-to videos to show you the basics of applying paper mache clay, building armatures with patterns, etc. Since I’m very new at this video thing, feel free to offer advice on how I could do it better. (Yes, I will be working on the focus problem… )
And if there’s anything you’d like me to show you how to do (and if I can do it in about 6 minutes or less), your suggestions will be more than welcome. As always, I value your comments.
My daughter, Jessie Rasche, has been invited to present her work in a gallery in Spokane, beginning this Friday and continuing all through March. As you can imagine, the family is rather pumped up about it. I’ll let you tell you about it herself:
Painting by Jessie Rasche, Cows
I am having my first art show in a gallery this Friday and I am really excited (and nervous!). I’ve shown at lots of little shops, but for some reason the move to a gallery feels like a really big deal.
My work is in the impressionist style, where I attempt to capture the feeling and mood and light of a scene, but not many of the details. The press release described my work this way:
Man with Baby, by Jessie
“Jessie Rasche is a talented, emerging artist with vigorous raw energy. She works in the confines of small canvases with limited scope, which naturally entices the viewer into an intimate experience with each work. Her enchanting, careful studies favor form and light to precise execution. This show will also debut two larger pieces, both of which will explore character and color, feeling and weight. Preview the work and become a fan of our Facebook page, “Second Space Gallery”.”
Thanks again for all your support and encouragement!
If you just happen to live near Spokane, be sure to drop by for the opening this Friday, or anytime this month. And be sure to check out that web page and leave her a note – I know she’d love to read your comments about her paintings.
(Note 3/6/2010 – see how Suzy’s project turned out at the end of this post)
I received an email today from Suzy, asking for help with her daughter’s school project, and we’re hoping you can add to the suggestions I came up with. (I’m amazed by the number of people who are brought back to playing with paper mache in order to help their kids with their homework! I think the moms have more fun with these projects than the kids do!)
Anyway, here’s Suzy’s email. My answers are below. I’m hoping that you may have had actual experience making a round, metallic object (rockets, maybe?) and that you can offer more help than I could:
Wow! Thank you so much for your informative website! I enjoyed seeing the various sculptures you have made. I have searched the web over for a site such as yours. I am not artistic by any means and the last time I made a paper mache project was in elementary school!! Years later, here I am, my daughter in elementary school and an assigned science project.
The assignment is space missions and she chose the Sputnik I as her mission. The Sputnik was about the size of a basketball and of course very smooth as any any satellite would be. I can certainly use a balloon, beach ball, styrofoam ball, etc.The problem is that the Sputnik had 4 attached antennas that hang from the satellite almost like tentacles from a jellyfish.
If I use any of the items mentioned, I am limited to how I can attach these, and frankly, I am worried that the antennas will not stay in place. If I use paper mache, I could attach, I think, with hot glue gun, etc. Plus, I could also get the polished finish for the satellite that I seek. Then, just finish with metallic silver spray paint. » Read more: Paper Mache Sputnik – Ideas Needed
This morning Liz left a question on a previous post, and it’s one of those questions that you may be better at answering than I am. I’m sure she isn’t the only one who has hands that get dry when working with paper mache. Here’s her question:
I have a very practical and basic papier mache question. The skin on my hands is somewhat delicate (particularly in the winter) and I try to keep it happy. I keep wondering if PM artists just sacrifice the skin on their hands for their art or just how they protect their hands from deteriorating. I can’t imagine wearing even thin gloves to do PM. What do you do?
So – what would you do? Like told Liz, I’m not into self-sacrifice, but this just isn’t a problem I’ve run into. I do use Bag Balm on my hands when they get dry and cracked from gardening, (probably shows how old this country gal is getting), but is there a way to protect your hands from getting damaged in the first place? Any products that work really well, to protect the hands without making the sculptures all greasy, and without encasing the hands in latex? Your suggestions would be much appreciated.
Do you have potential paintings or sculptures in your mind that are so real you can close your eyes and touch the surface of the canvas, or walk entirely around the piece, exploring it’s every detail? Do you have a short story or a novel in your mind that’s so real you can see yourself turning the pages? Is something stopping you from actually creating it, so other people can see it, too?
I’ve started thinking about what my next sculpture should be, now that my book project is starting to wind down. And whenever I start thinking about what I should do next, three “old friends” keep trying to get my attention. These are the three sculptures that I’ve been living with, (only in my mind, of course), for at least 5 years.
Is there such a thing as artistic phobia? Sculpture anxiety? A fear of drawing? Do you have ideas that you fully intend to pursue, but you never seem to feel the time is right?
I thought it might be fun to talk about this issue, because you, too, might have a great masterpiece in your mind that’s trying to get out. If so, maybe we could offer each other some support. I admit that I have a mild superstition that prevents me from talking about the three sculptures that I would love to do, someday. I think it was Earnest Hemingway that started my superstition when he said a writer should never tell a story until he has it down on paper. So I don’t want to describe the works that I haven’t yet created, but I would like to talk about the possible reasons why that they haven’t been created yet. » Read more: Fear of Drawing? Sculpture Anxiety? Creative Block?
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I’m only half-way through it, and I already feel like I want to read it again. Do you ever run across a book, entirely by accident, that you know will somehow change your life? This is one of them. It fits right into the question so many of us are asking ourselves right now “What’s next?”
" - My favorite online bookstore.
When you purchase through one of the links shown above the small commission I receive helps to support this website. Thanks!
