Small Object Making class: start at the beginning:

• Sculpture at Tafe

Well, I’ve been getting in some homework for my Tafe class. My journal is looking a bit healthier, or it will once the glue has started to dry anyway. I’ve been exploring the use of wood as a sculpture material. In class on Thursday I learned how to use a band saw and belt sander and other large and dangerous pieces of equipment. I also tried my hand at using an oxy-acetylene torch to heat metal and then beat it. It was tremendous fun but a lot of hard work! So having cut wood into very small shapes and then sanded them into even smaller shapes, I started to think about sculptural shapes and uses. Some of the small squares suggested themselves to me as seals, or chops. Some of the larger discs seemed ideal for carvings or woodcuts. I love the way different art forms blend into one another. I bought two chops in Singapore earlier this year and use them for some of my artwork such as the haiga. So I tried a simple engraving of my initials, but when I went to test it realised I’d forgotten a small but crucial detail:

…you have to carve in reverse if you’re going to stamp with it! Whoops! I’m keen to try some more traditional carving in my next session, I’m thinking of trying to carve a little girl in a cloak. She appears in some of my paintings and as she’s a fairly simple shape I’m hoping she won’t be too complex or beyond my current skills.

For my journal I also have to look up other sculptures for inspiration and ideas. Here’s a few made from wood that I enjoyed: