How To Use a Silicone Mold to Press Clay - Timelapse The pieces used as examples are titled "Harnessed" (start image) and "Matangi" (end image) by Yelizaveta Masalimova. See more of her artwork and process at www.LizaStudio.com
The video above demonstrates the process of press molding clay into a silicone mold to make a clay cast, which can then be altered from the original. This process is fairly easy to do, and can be an affordable alternative to casting. The main disadvantages are distortion, shrinkage, and stress cracks. Still, it can be a fast way to cast an edition of similar, yet not identical, forms.
Directed by yours truly. Shot on location in Ledyard, CT
Yelizaveta Masalimova, 2016
Variations on a bust inspired by celebrity icon Nicki Minaj.
Read MoreA piece that is currently in progress and nearing completion, is shown below. The pedestal is made of welded steel, and the figure is terra cotta with resin and acrylic.
The sculpture above, as well as those below, are examples of my experimentation with ceramics and glazes through the use of one mold to make variations on a repeated form.
Some process shots of several of the pieces in the left hand column.
Above are images of the piece after a cone 04 glaze fire with Spectrum Wrought Iron low fire glaze.
Photo Gallery of the process of making a large press-molded and hand assembled figure. Construction started on a board and was finished inside of a massive gas kiln. A big thanks to the entire Ceramics Department Faculty at Penn State, Tom Lauerman, Shannon Goff, Bonnie Collura, Roberto Lugo, Jennifer MacDonald, and Charlie Cunningham for their help with this undertaking!
Pictures of two new ceramic pieces, as well as a few process shots of hollowing out a form in preparation for firing. Both pieces are currently bisque fired and waiting for glaze.
The piece above made it through the bisque at cone 07, and was glaze fired at cone 5. The clay body turned buff after bisque and dark brown after glaze firing.
Jan 2014
Finished a Terra Cotta portrait of my friend and amazing ceramic artist Brooks Oliver!
After sculpting the head and facial expression, I needed to hollow out the head. Inside, I had an armature consisting of a pipe, toilet float, expandable foam, and wire. I cut the top of the head off with a wire, avoiding the ears and face. Once hollowed out, I punched plenty of holes into the clay to allow moisture to escape more easily from the clay when it is fired. Thanks to my friend and inspirational artist Roberto Lugo, it is being fired! Hopefully it doesn't explode...
Once I joined the two head pieces back together with clay slip (I scored the edges of the clay first), I finished off Brooks' fabulous hair texture, added his very identifiable glasses, and placed wax on the thin parts to keep them from drying out too fast and cracking. The wax is the white stuff that you can see on the glasses.
