This sculpture was the most surprising of all. Not one of the long, slim, adjacent forms broke in any way. Just to think about maneuvering knives, riflers, sandpaper and cloth throughout all the forming and finishing processes, and end up with such a delicate, complex design was to me just outstanding.

  There is no "opening" nor additional texture. The design is complete as is.

  This sculpture shared the same challenge as the one above--the need to design and work on adjacent forms without harming one or the other. The texture here was reminicent to the sculptor of washing waves of water, and is limited to the supporting base.

  Isn't is amazing what can be derived from a small block of plaster?

THE CARVING AND FINISHING PROCESSES

  Perhaps you've noticed the very smooth surfaces the sculptures exhibited. That was due to no less than 2 weeks of critical sanding and buffing. Here's the sequence we followed:

• Initial planning and cutting out of form with the fettling knife.
• After shaping has been roughly determined, riflers were used to reform and more clearly define the sculpture's contours. Material is damp to this state.
• Plaster is allowed to dry. Medium sandpaper removes the marks from the riflers' which had made many fine, linear cuts. This is followed by fine sandpaper removing the previous marks.
• The final finishing step is using 1" strips of torn muslin, about 12" long. This strip is soaked,excess water squeezed out, wrapped around the finger and rubbed all over the entire surface until no marks or air bubble craters are seen. This "buffs" the plaster and creates a velvety smooth surface.
• Last, 2 to 3 coats of milk is painted over the plaster. Yep, milk. This is absorbed into the material, helps to seal it and gives it a translucent shine.

  Quality in craftsmanship enhances the worth of a sculpture when excellence in finish can be observed. This takes a lot of time and effort, but it is so worth it!