I've been derelict in posting on this bear's progress. To update everyone, the body got patched of air pocket voids left from carving off foam. Then I sealed the entire body with a laytex based roof sealant that's pretty darn tuff once it cures, and flexible & won't crack. Decided not to use the bondo... saving that for another project later on. The idea of sealing the body was to encapsulate any possible foam bits that could get into the clay skin I'll be applying for detailing. I want to "save" this clay for use on other projects once this bear's completed. The clay I'm using is a vegetable oil based clay product that's commercially available and used by many professional sculptors. Wasn't my choice, by the way... my investor was the one that bought and provided it for me to use. I normally make my own clay. But this stuff is consistent with each box and a bit less tacky than what I'm used to using/making (which is good). Some spendy shit, though... 200 lbs w/shipping cost her over $750. That's like daily pocket change to her, though... so.... hell yeah, i'll use it.
She's been taking instruction from a professional sculptor she met (one on one, two days a week sessions) and felt the clay the artist was using was what everyone should be using, so she ordered it through that artist's account to get a discount. Otherwise, if I was to purchase the stuff myself it'd cost me over a grand. Maybe I'm in the wrong business and should be make'n sculpture clay for profit.
Worked the past couple weeks get'n an old heavy as hell slab roller cleaned up, de-rusted, serviced, tuned and back into operation. It was given to me almost 10 years ago by someone who got tired of move'n shit around it all the time in their shop. They never used it (it was given to them) and figured they never will so... they passed on the white elephant to me, HAHA... Hell, YEAH!! Plus, I patched the bear's hide, sealed it, and also began fabricating/sculpting a jaw set w/teeth and tongue that'll custom fit into the mouth cavity when I'm apply'n the clay layering over the head to lock it in. The upper dentures are made, they fit, (and look bitch'n, by the way) just need more refined detailing before lock'n 'em into the mouth. Today been work'n on the lower set and tongue. Ought to be able to finish those tomorrow or Saturday.
And last weekend the wife and I decided I needed a break and that we both needed to spend some quality time together, so we packed up Friday afternoon and headed to the Oregon coast and stayed in a gorgeous beach front condo apartment w/balcony overlook'n the beach for 3 days. Weather was drop dead gorgeous, to boot. When we weren't swill'n back wine on the balcony, or bang'n heads on the headboard, we hit bars, restaurants, walked the art district and checked out glass blower shops that have a viewing area (about 10 ft. away from all activities) so bystanders can watch all day all the processes involved. They do some beautiful work. I'm kinda, sorta, of the mind to build me one of them glass furnaces and experiment blow'n my own glass art. I know.... got to get what's on my plate done first. It looks easy and relatively simple, just takes some experimentation to get the hang of it. No greater amount of tooling than what we use melt'n metal... less, actually. And everyone doin it were wear'n cutoffs, T-shirts, and sunglasses. No gloves. And one of their furnaces (on its side on a stand, open face) can also be used as a forge for knife make'n and iron work.
All in all been busy most of the time and still on schedule (actually a bit ahead) with this bear. I've got pics show'n the bear coated with the sealant and one show'n the rough made upper set of teeth and tongue but figure it best to post pics once the clay skin starts get'n added for a before and after view, then another with the jaw set in place. Figure early next week for the next set of photos.
