Working on a shell
I’ve promised myself to try to focus more on projects of my own, in between contract work for other people. I find it so easy to fritter time away when I’m not meeting other’s deadlines. So I’ve started back working on a big shell project I first started over 3 years ago. Back then I got as far as sculpting the shell out of clay, and making a ridiculously big and heavy plaster mold of it. It’s about a metre long. Luckily I did have the sense then to make a cradle on casters for it, so I don’t break my back trying to maneuver is around.
A few days ago I sealed the plaster with layers of shellac, which turned it this beautiful golden mustard colour.
Now I am paper mache-ing it inside with tissue paper. I want it to look flimsy and papery and almost transparent, but I don’t know how few layers I can get away with, and still have it come out of the mold intact. The idea of using very fine fibreglass is tempting, but I am sworn off working with fibreglass.
There are a few more photos at Flickr, where I’m making a photoset.
Thanks for the photos of your paper mache shell, in process. I’ve tried using plaster molds (unsuccessfully, I’m afraid), but never tried shellacking them first. I think you’ll be surprised at how few layers of tissue paper are needed to make a firm shell. I hope you publish a photo after it comes out of the mold. It looks like it will be quite beautiful.
Thank you! I also covered it with vaseline, and at this stage can see that its going to pull off okay except where the glue got in around the joins – I tried to get as little as possible between the paper and the mold. I’m thinking three layers might be enough – it isn’t much is it?!
I have had success with newspaper in a plaster mold just using vaseline straight on the plaster, and then you make the first layer of paper with water only, no glue until the second layer. The plaster somehow draws off the water, and it comes out beautifully. I’m not sure now if the shellac was a good idea or not! Wait and see, I guess!
I enjoyed looking through your site, btw :)
[...] are a few photos of how my tissue paper shell came out of the [...]
Very beautiful !
Looking forward to see the shell completely achieved.
Thank you :)
such potential in casting many similar shapes. Hope you progress fully with your experiments. Spencer
Thanks Spencer, nice to hear from you again.