Sculpture Assignment III & IV

 Modeling and Mold Making

    For the modeling portion of this assignment, I chose this Black Tourmaline stone. It has many layers and lined texture that I thought I would enjoy trying to replicate. This stone is used in crystal healing for grounding, protection, and the balancing of ones energy. It is a dense stone that is typically heavier than others. I personally use it while doing yoga or meditating with it in my hands or sitting on my chest.

 I started with a large mount of clay and began to shape it as best I could with my hands. Then I used a dental tool with a flat edge on one end and a rounded edge on the other to create the small indents and carve out the tiny lines that created texture. When it came time for creating the mold, I decided to make a two part mold for it rather that covering it in silicone caulk. To do that I started with a slab of water based clay and dug out enough to submerge the model halfway. I took metal brackets and created a box around the clay and my model and clamped it together and sealed the corners with more oil based clay. I mixed my silicone and poured enough to submerge the top half of the model, waited for that to dry, took angled cuts along the sides of the silicone then mixed plaster together and filled to the top of the brackets to give the silicone a solid base. Once that was all dry I removed he clamps and brackets, flipped the mold over and removed the water basked clay from the other half and cleaned it with some water. Once that side was clean I repeated the process of clamping, pouring silicone, waiting for it to cure then pouring the plaster base. Once everything was cured and dried, I took the model out of the mold, cleaned out inside of the mold and began cutting a pour hole. 

Once It was all ready I rubber-banded the mold and poured three plaster molds of the Black Tourmaline and it was time to think about the relationship between the multiples. I thought about how on hiking trails people stack rocks and it is seen as a meditative practice or help in understanding balance. Since the energetic properties of the stone work with trying to balance your energy, I saw the multiples being used as a rock stacking exercise people could use when stressed or overwhelmed with life.