My freakin' "tour de force"

This last week was a sort of 'finals' week for my ceramic class. Monday (the 5th) is our last day for for wet clay, with the next month spent on glazing and the Raku ceremony. We were allowed to do just about anything we wanted, whether it be thrown, slab, coil or sculpted. I really wanted to do a series of masks, but the piece had to support itself. I couldn't do the greek-Medusa thing, since the sculpture would really need some serious armatures, and nothing but pure clay is allowed in the kiln

And then I knew.

It was time to pay my tithe to the Art Gods - for every art student regardless of focus and age, will make at least one piece featuring a dragon. It is the inevitable law of the universe.


The base was constructed of two separate pieces coiled on a flat base. when the pieces were leather-hard, I cut the bottom piece out so I could fit in the slanted 'rock'. I cut it a bit too far, leaving that jankety opening. For support, two 'pillars' were fitted inside the lower piece to support the top. The end look resembles the inside of a cave.

The body was sculpted out of solid clay and later hollowed. I placed the body on top of the rock and patched the numerous amount of cracks. Two different heads were sculpted (the first too big). The legs are nearly solid clay, which means it will twelve years before this is perfectly dry.

Everything turned out how I wanted - except for the wings. I wasn't allowed to use wire to support and sculpt the wings. I tried to support them using a cardboard base, but they would be too thin and kept cracking. The end result is a weird set of abstract wings. It works, but they're too small for the body.



Regardless, the end result is a badass dragon. Now one more picture for posterity - since it is going to blow up in the kiln.