How long have you been sculpting: As of writing this a little over 4 1/2 years (started in late November 2003)
How did you learn to sculpt (any formal education)? Self-taught. Just bought some clay and started playing with it.
Do you make a living as an artist? Nope, went to school to get a BBA in Management Information Systems because I bought into the whole “starving artist” mentality. I’m working on undoing that mentality 😉
When did you first start using polymer clay: January of 2004
What are your favorite properties for polymer clay: Doesn’t dry out, can be baked in the oven (no need for a kiln), holds detail very well and it taste like chicken (disclaimer… for those of you with no sense of humor or take everything I write literally I am just joking, please do not eat the stuff 😉 ).
What are your least favorite properties for polymer clay: Takes patience if carving in details (however that is probably any medium), easy to mess up details if you do not partial bake the clay, requires an armature for support and prone to cracking.
Do you exclusively use polymer clay: No, the majority of my work is done with polymer clay but I am open to other clays. Wed clay is great for doing life size portraits and I’m considering playing a little with wax.
How often do you sculpt – As much as possible and not as much as I like ;-). At best I get maybe 1 -2 hours a day on average but I don’t get to sculpt every day. My best opportunity to do some serious sculpting is if there is some downtime on the weekends, like late Friday night or early Saturday and Sunday morning. I have a family so I can’t just hideaway in my little office and sculpt all day long.
How long does it take you to complete a sculpt? It really depends on the sculpt. Some sculptures I can knock out in a few hours while others take forever to complete. On average it usually takes me well over 100 hours to complete a detailed sculpture that arranges anywhere from 12 to 18 inches in height.
What would you be doing if you were not sculpting ? Probably drawing or painting. I’m far better at sculpting then I am at drawing so I’m grateful that I have discovered this craft. But then again if I invested as much time drawing and painting as I do sculpting then I would be much better at that too 😉
Who are your favorite sculptors/artist and why? There are probably too many to count but the ones that stand out the most are:
- Mill Creek Studios – very unique vision with their wildlife art. In my house I have a curio cabinet busting at the seams with nothing but their work (I’ve spent a small fortune on their artwork over the last decade).
- Shiflett Brothers – one of their online forums introduced me to the world of polymer clay. Very unique style, incredibly detailed work and I am forever grateful to be exposed to their art.
