The Probe in Action.

 The Probe has done it's work.

Ready to be put together again.

 

I know, this looks vicious. Like the comedian says, "Remind you of anything?" Uncomfortable memories.

 

Sculpting with clay sometimes looks like pretty gory stuff. I probably should be more careful what I show you about some of the process we sometimes have to go through. I am realizing that a lot of people have very a  romantic idea of the pieces they are looking at and/or purchasing. Many do not even want to go near an artist's studio, because they don't want to know about the "workman like shop" the place might look like. Or see something they may feel is "disgusting."

 

This here is one of those things, and I apologize if I am spoiling something for you. 

 

Also, I quite enjoyed seeing the "powerful" and "evil" king having to go through this ignoble, humbling process!

 

I have changed my general approach to sculpting. I used to make my pieces from slabs of clay, making the figure hollow right from the beginning. Now, I chose what to make hollow and what to carve from solid clay as I encounter each piece. This piece was a combination of the two. Because of it's larger size, it was a lot easier to create it from solid clay. Then from the mid chest area I began to make him hollow due to the weight of the clay. With him bending forward in the sitting position that became an issue with it slumping and needing to be braced up. I had already decided to have his arms resting on his knees, so I make rough arms which helped stabilize the figure while the clay was still wet.

 

The funny part was that the lower legs below the knee could not take the weight, and so that is where I included extra support. The reason I say "funny" is that they went into some weird shapes making the "strong" king look rather weak in the legs. Some chopsticks cut to the right length became handy supports for that part.

 

My challenge was hollowing out the upper thighs. I have had this problem before, but this figure is much bigger and his legs are longer, so it was impossible to "dig" them out without drastic measures. I just did not want to cut up his legs into sections to do this. So this was the time to purchase "the drill bits" needed for just this kind of a job. I found just the right ones for the job, a set which came in three sizes. Using an extension, I was able to hollow the leg out clear to the knees. Fantastic. The legs below the knees are thin enough and will not need to be hollowed out.

 

"For an empty-headed man will be wise, when a wild donkey's colt is born a man." Job 11:12

Not only are the flowers blooming

but the mosquitoes are also out! Yup, that's a mosquito!

 

Below is another view of these amazing early flowers in our backyard.