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| Clay Portrait |
| Do you wish your looks could last forever? |
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Clay portraits have been popular in many cultures for thousands of years. Perhaps some of the better-known statues and sculptures are identified with the ancient Greeks and Romans.
Mea Souris, however, is a modern day portrait artist who chooses to work with the clay medium instead of paints. She has been sculpting for 32 years and has mastered her art through a combination of self and formal education.
During the creative process, she says she becomes intrigued by the emotion, expression and attitude of the subject that is conjured up. Mea uses a special modelling clay that has a lot of body and less shrinkage during the firing process, compared to standard clay.
The Creative Process:
1
6 photos are needed:
1 x head and shoulders, face-on.
2 x side-on shots.
2 x รณ shots (ie: Half way between front and side-on).
1 x shot of back of head and shoulders.
2
The photos are enlarged so that the expressions and features are clearly visible.
3
Clay is positioned onto a modelling stand, on a small wooden table. It is added in large chunks to start off with. This part of the process is quite physical, with Mea occasionally using a piece of wood to pound the portrait into its basic form. This stage takes several days to complete.
4
Work is now carried out on the finer features and expressions of the portrait. Mea likes to work directly from the subject, and this stage can take a few hours. Clients often ask her to make them look more flattering.
5
After the completion of the portrait, the entire piece is wrapped in damp hessian and plastic sheeting to control the drying process so that it dries slowly and evenly. This is essential to avoid cracking as the clay shrinks. This can take up to three months. During the drying process, the hessian is re-dampened and the plastic taken off when almost dry, to allow any moisture to evaporate.
6
The portrait is then kiln fired at a temperature of 1120 degrees Celsius for 36 hours and cooled slowly for another 24 hours. The unglazed fired terracotta clay is now ready to be displayed on a plinth or table, indoors or out. The finished portrait should last for hundreds of years.
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Cost
Basic cost is around $5,000. (Not including freight or insurance).
Deposit: 33 percent.
Progress payment when modelling complete, prior to drying: 33 percent.
Balance on completion (after firing): 34 percent.
The client is entitled to "one off" refusal, which means that if the client is not satisfied with the clay portrait, it will be remodelled once at no extra charge.
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More Info
For an individual quote or more information, please contact Mea Souris on:
Mobile Ph: 0412 232 221 or write to: PO Box 9, Kingsgrove NSW 1480.
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Disclaimer
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