Sunflower Masks 6: Petals

The final design for the Clytie masks I've created is what I call "Petals", because I use additional tiny petals as the "accent" for the piece. This idea actually derived from my training as an (Advanced) Master Gardener, where we learned that the family of plants to which the Sunflowers belong (formerly known as the Compositae, now known as the Asteraceae) are characterized by a flowering body made up of two types of flowers - ray flowers, which reside at the perimeter of the flower and characterized by showy petals, and disk flowers, which are much less conspicuous and take up the rest of the flower head. The sequential blooming of the disk flowers explains the ongoing visits by pollinators and, therefore, the fact that these types of plants are a highly valuable resource for our native pollinators.

I decided to take this idea in a slightly different direction, by creating additional petals to accent the faces for these masks. I fabricate the mask as usual, using the two rows of petals (Medium and Tiny Sunflower outer petals for the smaller, more delicately structured female face; Large and Small Sunflower outer petals for the larger, stronger-featured male face) around the perimeter. Then I used the Tiny Sunflower inner petal cutter to make additional petals that I then attached in a manner intended to accentuate the face's inherent structure.

After bisque firing as usual, I glazed using Burnt Umber for the face; I applied Titanium Mason Stain for the entire surface of all the petals and then brushed Orange Mason Stain for just the tips, as I had for the previous post on the masks. This makes for a brighter yet more subtle color combination folks really seem to like.

To finish all of the masks, I use a type of wire I can only seem to find at Lowe's, of all places - a plastic-coated 30-lb picture wire by Ook. I like to use this product because it is less prone to rusting due to the coating; I could use stainless steel wire instead, but it is quite a bit more expensive. I loop it through the holes in the back of the mask and twist securely. These pieces are considerably less than 30 pounds, so I'm not concerned about the wire failing. (I'm not so much buying the wire for its rating as for its coating.)

This is the design I used for the mask of my best friend, Catherine which appeared in a picture taken of me for an article about the Clematis in my garden published in Michigan Gardening magazine in July 2009. I so like this photo - because it incorporates two of my three loves (the other being my cats, of course!) - my garden and my pottery. You can also see three more of the masks I've made of myself and my "sibling friends" (there are nine altogether now, including Carla, to the left of the photo, and Nancy, in the distance to the right; I'm in the back to the left; Sue Ann, Tia, Sharon, Debbie and Stephen are out there as well), all of which stay outside on their posts all year long so I can always visit with my family. (The Clematis is Clematis x 'Barbara Jackman'.)

Sunflower Masks 5 - Blossom

The glazing process for these pieces is pretty much identical to the process for my Original Sunflowers.  I use water-based chemical and stain solutions to color the bisque-fired clay, a process which retains much of the clay's texture and creates a relatively naturalistic, matte finish that a lot of my clients really appreciate.  (If you think about it, there aren't that many naturally-occurring glossy/glassy things; I can come up with two - water and obsidian, or volcanic glass.)

I mix the powdered materials with enough water that they don't clump up on the brush.  I don't want to put them on really heavily - it's more of a wash technique I'm using.  I use Burnt Umber for the face, making sure the entire surface is covered.  The solution dries almost immediately, as the clay is dry from the firing but still porous.  Then, using a moistened (dip it in water, squeeze it out) typical synthetic pottery sponge, I take most of the color off, bringing up the face's detail.  Then I apply the color for the petals, front and back.  (Not everyone might see the necessity of doing the back of the petals, but I realized a while ago that, if I cover everything, I'm not going to discover, pulling the piece out of the glaze firing, that I've missed a critical spot that will be visible when someone looks at the piece.)  Again, I use the sponge to remove some of the color from the edges and tip of each petal, to enhance their dimensionality.  If the solution is applied to thickly and not removed sufficiently, it can flake after firing - the clay can only absorb so much of it.

When glaze firing, I load these pieces directly on a clean, bare shelf (same as I would use for my bisque firings - I have separate shelves for each, which simplifies my maintenance process).  Because the stains don't vitrify, but rather fire into the clay body, I don't have to worry about sticking to the shelf, or any other stained piece in the load - so these pieces can be loaded more densely than traditional glazeware; I even stack my Original Sunflowers.  (They sometimes stick together because of the clay's reaction to the heat, but I can usually - 99+ percent of the time - get them apart carefully once they've completely cooled.)  The petals can "relax" a bit in the glaze firing so I sometimes use posts to keep them "up", but usually I don't bother.

The last design I came up with for the Clyties (although not the last I'll share here) came of the fact that I was making a series of these of my sister/sibling friends for my garden and wanted as much individuality as possible.  A lot of the pieces have a "serious whimsy" about them - fantastical in subject but pretty straight in execution.  This design was a bit different, from start to finish.

This design is probably the direct result of my training as a Master Gardener, during which I learned, among many other things, about the flowers of the Asteraceae family, formerly known as the Compositae, including such favorites as Asters and (surprise, surprise), Sunflowers.  Each "flower" is actually composed of many smaller flowers, the outer, or "ray" flowers owning the colorful petals we recognize, the inner, or "disk" flowers less conspicuous to us humans but every bit as attractive to the average pollinator.  This structure makes these plants super attractive, as the flowers in each efflorescence opens sequentially, making for a prolonged nectar harvest - no fear of double-dipping here!  With this pair of masks, I reinterpret the composite flowers of the Sunflower, the colorful petals mimicking the showy disk flowers, the little cut-out rosettes reflecting the more discrete disk flowers.  I also added an "extra" rosette as a whimsical "beauty mark".

I had tried combining stain colors on the petals in an earlier design and decided to try the same with a different combination, to create a reflection of some of the bi-colored sunflowers out there in cultivation.  In this instance, I used Orange and Woodland Mason Stains, using the Orange over the entire petal and the "florets" on the face, and tipping each petal with Woodland.  The overall effect is quite strong - maybe a bit overwhelming for some; but I like it and would do it again.

Sunflower Masks 4 - Hair

When I first started making these pieces, as many of them self-destructed in the fabrication process as survived it.  The biggest challenge was to get the petals to come through the process unmolested.  I went through a few experiments, both in terms of fabrication and firing, to support the petals effectively through those steps, with varied results.  One goal was to not have the petals subside to the plane defining the back of the piece, so as to reduce the risk of breakage - and also retain the sense of a three-dimensionality.  What I finally did was to use kiln posts to support the petals while fabricating and through bisque firing.

The final process now consists of taking a kiln shelf the size of the kiln in which I will be bisque firing the piece (I often use a 22" shelf and fabricate two pieces on the same shelf) and line sections of it with as many pieces of newspaper as pieces I'll be fabricating.  (I use the same basic technique for all my masks, Clyties and Green People.)

I take the clay cast and trim it so it lies on a flat plan on the shelf on top of a piece of newspaper.  I find it helps if I trim one side of the piece, rest that on the shelf with the other half over the edge so I can trim the excess; I adjust the edge until I get it to rest flat on the surface.  At this point, I use a hole cutter to make a hole (for the hanging wire) on either side of the face, usually at about the level of the outer corner of each eye.  This hole may be covered by the petals during assembly but it will still be easier to re-cut it than try to place it later on.

I use the same custom-made "cookie cutters" for the petals on my Clyties as I use for my Original, Fancy and Deluxe Sunflowers.  Because it is a general anatomical fact that men's heads are bigger than women's (I could digress a whole lot on that topic but will resist the urge to do so!), I use the second and fourth largest cutters for the male faces and the third and fifth largest for the female masks - these proportions seem to work in most cases, so the petals and the face are in balance.

I score and slip the bottom edge of the mask, usually coming up a bit around the chin.  I start attaching the set of larger petals at the center top, working my way down on either side, alternating so they are arranged relatively symmetrically, ending with the last petal (or two) centered on the chin.  (It's likely in the course applying this first layer of petals that the holes will be covered - re-cut them as you apply the petals.)  I use 1/2", 1" and 2" kiln posts to support the petals, using 2" to 2-1/2" for the center top and bottom and reducing the height by 1/2" increments between, so the petals are resting on 1/2" posts at the center of each side.  Once the piece is entirely fabricated, I can pull it around on the shelf using the piece of newspaper. potentially maximizing space usage and ease for loading.

The great thing about using the posts to support the petals is that they can go right into the kiln without  the artist having to touch the piece.  Once these things have dried leather hard, they're very fragile until they come out of the bisque firing, so if I can get away without having to touch them at all once they're finished, it's really best.  I can load the shelf directly into the kiln (need good upper body for this part of the exercise), the newspaper burns away and the pieces now come out of the bisque firing with no damage about 90-95% of the time.

These "Hair" masks trace their development to a sunflower face I made of myself for my garden.  The mold had deteriorated quite a lot, to the point that a lot of the detail had diminished, and I couldn't make another one.  So I flashed back to my childhood when I always had my hair in my face and thought, why don't I just do that to "camouflage" the lack of detail?  And thus came up with another Clytie style.  In this case, like the "String Theory" Deluxe Sunflower, the key is to apply the "hair" before the petals go on, to make it look as naturalistic as possible.  Sometimes the "hair" will pull away from the face as it dries - an issue that can be prevented by brushing it with some diluted wax resist; but I rather like when that happens as it provides an additional layer of dimensionality to these pieces.

Sunflower Masks 3 - Seed

The first masks I made were actually a series of Medusas, again, influenced by my interest in Greek Mythology (and, probably, some transference/projection issues my therapist would rather not discuss; or maybe she would).  Anyway, I was absolutely clueless as to how to proceed once I'd had the first mold of my face done.  How to put the clay in the mold?  And did I have to prepare the mold in any way before introducing the clay?

For some reason, I thought I needed some kind of separating agent, not realizing the very porosity of the plaster mold would provide that for me.  So, in my ignorance, I sprayed Pam (yes, Pam) on the mold before I put in the clay.  This actually is a really bad idea, as it turns out, because the oil in the spray actually slows down the clay's drying process while contributing to the mold's degradation.  I have since learned that I don't need to do anything to the mold at all before I put any clay in to cast a face.

Separating agents aside, my first attempt to make a cast from a life cast was to take wads of clay and push them into the mold and try to get them to squish together.  This didn't work very well - or at least, not in the manner I had wished - as, when I pulled the clay out of the mold the nose (which was a separate piece of clay) became twisted out of plumb and, as I recall, came completely off the rest of the cast.  There were also crevasses between the individual wads of clay.

Although the piece did not look the way I had anticipated, I actually found it pretty interesting and used it for my first Medusa, adding three snake's heads to the piece and eventually raku firing it, glazing the face with Crackle White and the snakes with Copper Sand.  I later used an image of this piece for the postcard advertising my first show back in 1995.  So, although it didn't actually work as projected, the final project was pretty darned cool.

So, after much trial and error, here's how you create a good cast from a life mask mold.  Roll out a slab of clay that's about a quarter inch thick.  If you're using a slab roller with a piece of canvas, once you've rolled out the clay, pull back the canvas to loosen the clay, flip the canvas back, flip the whole thing over and pull back the other side of the canvas so the clay is not stuck to the canvas on either side.  Using the flat side of a metal kidney, gently scrap the slab's surface to remove any of the canvas pattern; regardless of how carefully you push the clay into the mold, this pattern will still be visible, whereas any marks from the kidney will not.  Cut a piece of clay of a size to fit the mold, keeping in mind the depth of the mold.  Carefully lifting the cut slab, lower it into the mold, gently forcing it into the plaster, paying particular attention to the nose, mouth, eyes and brow.  Use a sponge to work the clay into these areas.  If the clay cracks (this often happens around the edges of the nose and mouth), pull pieces from the remainder of the slab and carefully work in.  Work the clay all the way to the edges of the mold, finally cutting off the remainder (or not, depending on what you are doing).  Set the mold aside for the clay to dry somewhat.

Do not let the clay dry completely.  You want the clay to have dried enough to pull the clay cast from the mold without damaging it.  (It'll take some trial and error to get there.)  Once the clay is firm enough to work, trim it so it sits flush to a flat surface and put a hole in on either side about where the outer corners of the eyes are (to facilitate wire for hanging) and you're finally ready to assemble your piece.

This pair of masks represent the final of the first three designs I developed for my Clyties - I call it seed because I take small pieces of clay and roll them into ovoid forms to roughly mimic sunflower seeds.  I futzed around for some years before I figured out that, if I rolled out a slab of clay and used the same punch tool for every wad of clay, I could get fairly consistently-sized seeds.  (Yes, I am a genius....)  I like to arrange the seeds to emphasize facial masses - the brow, the line between nose and mouth, the curve of the chin.  I score the facial surface and brush with slip before applying the seeds.  Even so, some do come loose and I tend to make an on-the-spot decision as to whether they are still needed or not in the final composition.  Depending on where I am in the process, I may just use some vinegar slip to re-apply the loose seeds.  If the piece has already been bisque fired, a drop of glaze in the socket from where the seed came loose will remedy the problem.

Sunflower Masks 2 - Pasta

The life mask process is not a complicated one, but it does require some practice.  I first learned how to do it from my old friend Tim Mason (Tim, where are you?) while at MSU doing a sculpture project involving lost wax casting.  It can be a pretty fun process.  First, the victim - um, subject - pulls his or her hair back from the face and holds in it in place with a bandana/shower cap/etc.  Then, a good coat of vaseline is applied to all areas of the face, paying special attention to any facial hair - eyebrows, eyelashes, hairline, mustaches, beard.  I take a disposable plastic straw, cut it in half and apply some of that blue putty-like stuff used to adhere posters to the wall to one end of each half so it won't be so sharp; these are inserted into each nostril to facilitate breathing.  I cut a collar out of corrugated cardboard to fit snugly around the head so the plaster doesn't slip down during the process.  Then I lay the subject down on a pillow covered with some plastic garbage bags (easier cleanup) so the head is level, not tilted forward or back.  We agree on a thumbs up/thumbs down signal system, I mix the plaster and apply, focusing, while the plaster is most plastic, on the main features of the face and working outward.  Remember - eyes closed!

The key here is to pat the plaster into place, not rub it as rubbing can cause the plaster to crack.  Once the plaster has been applied, it takes 10-15 minutes to set, during which time it gets rather warm due to the chemical reaction between the water and chemicals in the plaster.  Once it has set sufficiently, I work with the subject to carefully remove the mold; then escort him/her to the kitchen sink, where I've arranged soap, washcloth(s) and hand towels to clean up as much as possible.  The mold should be allowed to cure for a week before using.

What I find really interesting about these pieces is that they can look so different, even though they are all made from the same molds; I have actually had people, when looking at two pieces pulled from the same mold, assert that they are not the same person.  I specifically chose Jose and Tia because their features are in perfect proportion to one another:  Jose's full lips are balanced by a unique aquiline nose (helped along by a brief stint as a bouncer), deeply-set eyes and a strong brow; Tia's delicate mouth and eyes are in perfect proportion to her nose and gentle brow (I often say that there are women who pay big bucks for the bone structure with which Tia was born).  Jose's masculinity enhances Tia's femininity, as her delicacy emphasizes his strength.

For these particular pieces, I applied the petals and then used my mini-extruder/Klay Gun to extrude small sections of clay which I then applied end-on to the desired area of the mask.  My intention was to evoke the stamens of the sunflower's central disk flowers.  As with all the other sunflower faces, I use a Burnt Umber wash for the face, then used, in this case, Mason Stain 6100 (Woodland) for the petals, suggesting some of the darker sunflower cultivars including 'Velvet Queen'.  

Sunflower Masks 1 - Cake

Not everyone knows that I'm actually educated as an Art Historian and Archaeologist - a Bachelor's Degree from Michigan State and a Masters of Arts from Cornell, where I was actually in the PhD program.  Why does this matter?  Well, when I first started doing ceramics with Gene Pluhar, I was still thinking I was trying to do a dissertation on my chosen topic (griffin-head protomes, for those who want to know) and so very much "in" my field of study.  I had been deeply interested in Greek mythology for much of my life (avidly reading Edith Hamilton's book cooling off by the Windmill Pointe Park pool during childhood summers), an interest which translated well to a program in any discipline relating to Classical Studies.  So, when I started working on masks, some of the stories from that body of work (especially those that fed Ovid's Metamorphoses) seemed good fodder.  I experimented with images of the Furies, the Graces, the Fates, Arachne, Medusa (which resulted in a very successful multimedia piece) and Clytie.

Who was Clytie?  Clytie was a nymph and good friend of Daphne, both of whom knew Apollo.  Unlike Daphne, she actually thought Apollo was pretty cool and let him know as much, even though he chased anything in a chiton; but Apollo wasn't interested in Clytie, probably because, well, because she was actually interested in him and he was more interested in women who weren't interested in him and who would go to great lengths to get away from him (something about "the chase" I'm told) - Daphne turned in to a tree, for example.  Anyway, Apollo said, "No thanks."  But poor Clytie was severely co-dependent (she probably came from a dysfunctional family; you know the type) and wouldn't give up; instead of benefiting from some individual or group psychotherapy or some prescription medication, she sat herself on a hill for nine days, subsisting solely on the morning dew, watching the Chariot of the Sun cross the sky on its daily route.  (Yes, in our day and age, this would be stalking and Apollo would take out a PPO against her.)  In the end, she turned into a flower that follows the sun, our most common modern interpretation being the sunflower, which did not exist in the ancient old world.

I created my first Clytie in time for my first show back in 1995, where she was part of the "Girls Gone Wrong" wall, along with Arachne and Medusa (talk about a girl gone wrong!)  I started out using my own face, of which I had a mold, but while I was working at Honigman Miller (don't ask!), I met my friend Tia Nero, and asked her to be my Sunflower Girl.  I had gotten the mold for the male mask some years previously when my friend Jeanne Galloway's stockbroker, Jose Vasquez, consented to be our victim.

For this pair of masks, one of six designs I've developed for this series, I used a cake tip and slip to apply rosettes of clay to the surface that would look somewhat like the disk flowers on a sunflower.  I use red iron oxide (RIO) precipitate for the petals.  This is applied in the same manner as the Mason Stains, although I don't wipe off any access.  (This stuff really stains, so try not to spill!)  The RIO gives the clay an interesting bluish metallic quality many folks find interesting and is one of the more popular for my sunflower pieces.