Rope Making Detail # 1.

We can certainly do a lot of talking about the theory of creativity and art but there comes a time when things have to actually get done. We do eventually have to do the creating part and make something appear that was wasn’t there before. So, this weekend we are going to get practical.

The worship music is playing softly (IHOP), we are sitting on our stool and we are going to work at detailing rope.

First, let’s talk about what happened day before yesterday. There are a few  preliminary steps we need to mention. I had to decide where and how the rope would lie on the sculpture. You can see in the photo above, how the piece of string is draped over the sculpture. After I’d decided how it would lie I rolled the clay and placed it according to the plan.

As you do this decisions need to be made, such as how thick should the rope be? I also had to consider how the placing of the rope would enhance the sense of movement. I draped the clay rope onto the sculpture’s arms and decided where the rope would touch the sleeves. I applied wet clay to these spots and to the coil, then gently pressed the coil to the sleeve without deforming it. I then strengthened the bond with extra clay under and behind the rope to secure it firmly to the sleeve. This extra clay could later be carved down so it would not be either visible, or if visible accepted by the viewer as part of the sleeve. This was done section by section as the rope was too long to apply in one piece.

Now please understand. The new “fresh clay” coil needs to dry to a “leather hardness” before we can do the detailing on it. That means it needs “time”. And we all know what time dose to us. We find as the years go by things begin to sag. Usually we do the normal stuff like buying special supports to hold things up, exercising, and maybe for some it means getting face-lifts, may I say, not necessarily just on our faces either! You get the point. So, in a similar fashion I braced up the wet clay rope at the loops as I went along so gravity and shrinkage would not pull it apart while it dried. These braces (supports) were custom made for each loop. I always have “anti- sagging supports” in the form of Styrofoam available for just such situations.   

Now, the plastic wrapped sculpture has waited for two days. The rope will now have dried to the “leather hard” stage and be ready for the detailed work to make it look like real rope! Sunday morning we’ll unwrap the plastic over the sculpture and get busy.

“When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.”

Psalm 94:18