Folks, she's done! (Although she was done sometime last month.)
Gia is a second commissioned terracotta bust in a series of three adorable kids, of a young family I know. Her brother Mike
(seen here) , preceded her by three years as a portrait bust; but the general commissioned idea is to catch all three siblings between the ages of three and four years.
The progress of this subject was seen over several months in the Works in Progress section of this Forum, as there were some delays in getting her completed just right. Working with kids of this age is admittedly a challenge, as they squirm and stay mobile all the time; it's catch as catch can when they are in a cooperative mood. And yes, these busts have to be sculpted largely from life; photography references just don't provide the three-dimensional data needed.
Gia began life sized, but as you know, the clay shrinks as it dries and undergoes a firing, so I suppose she is 12 percent less than life size now. I deliberately limited the firing to a bisque stage to minimize changes. She ended up a very faint rosy pink, and then I applied a protective coat of beeswax from Gamblin, which provides a nice translucent sheen making her seem even more human.
To add to the conversation, I will include a few photos of this piece from various angles of perspective. One can never get enough images of a sculpture!
Garth
Threaded Mode
