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Lesson Plans


Re: Paper casting over clay?

From: Ted Beilby (tbeilby)
Date: Sun Jan 02 2000 - 07:22:45 PST

Sharon

This doesn't answer your questions directly but I thought I would share my
experience with paper cast made from clay relief

First we sculpted clay relief on a board covered with plastic wrap and built
a wall of clay around it.
Applied Vaseline to the wet clay relief
pored plaster over the relief making a plaster mold
then made paper casts off of the plaster mold that was protected with a
shellac finish

although I did this with success myself before doing with students, there
were some successes and some failures among students who were at
a summer camp of seniors

My mistakes to learn from
some students made molds to thin and they broke
- make sure clay relief stays low insuring an even margin of plaster
above clay
we did not pull sheets of paper but pulped paper and squeezed out bits of
paper pulp
this could have been easier if I had had students pull paper sheets to
lay over mold
I didn't allow enough time for drying at the camp - some students with thick
paper pulp took paper home wet on mold
keep paper thin for quicker drying
use hair dryer to speed drying of paper

The molds were interesting in themselves but I would like to try making a
cast directly off the clay. I wouldn't let the clay dry - then it would be
brittle and break when paper is pressed into it.
I don't have a kiln so I wouldn't be firing this clay. I know the plaster
would contaminate it but I don't know about the Vaseline. Clay experts?

Diane
tbeilby
From: Sharon Barrett Kennedy
Subject: Paper casting over clay?

> ...I'd like to try paper casting
> over clay to create bas relief sculptures. >
> Is there some trick to keeping the layer(s) of paper (pulp? strips?) even
> over the clay? Should the clay be allowed to dry, first, before applying
the
> paper? And then would you use Vaseline over the clay to prevent the paper
> from sticking? Would this (Vaseline, Pam, etc.) make the clay unusable
> afterwards?
>
> We may also make bowls at some point (using strips of paper over
> Vaseline-coated bowls), but I really like the idea of allowing the kids to
> have more opportunities to be creative with a design.
>
> Any and all suggestions welcomed and appreciated!
>
> Sharon

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