Went back to Mary Ward to finish hollowing out Harmony's head. The clay was just right for hollowing - except her bun fell off again. I remade it and have now left it for Paul to hopefully fire once the kiln is mended. The class was chocka- block, so I am quite relieved to be giving this term a miss!

This is the last week with Harmony - and although I am still not happy with it, I have improved it quite a bit. As ever, it takes Paul to sit down in front of it and look with fresh eyes, for me to see some of the obvious things I just haven't observed properly. This week I concentrated on the fullness of the face over the bone structure - and tried to make both sides more similar!

I am having a lot of difficulty with this head of Harmony. It seems to be going backwards - but next week (last with this model) will tell.

I have tried something different with the head. I have just given it a hint of eyebrows and nose, rather than trying to define the features.

Autumn 2008, a new year at Mary Ward

A new year at Mary Ward - and another lying down pose. Her name is Christine and I prefer the pose to the last one. The first two weeks were quite difficult. I find I have forgotten how to really look properly. But by the third week I was enjoying it!

Final post for this year. I collected 'fired' Robert. It was not quite as heavy as I had anticipated. OK, but still not as good as I would have liked. Maybe next year...

When I unwrapped Robert, after two weeks away, it felt pretty good for hollowing and finishing off. I spent the whole session doing this and felt OK about the final result. Hollowing something shallow was more tricky than I expected, as I kept going through the clay and suddenly finding a hole in the base. Anyway, he is pricked and done!

Week 4 with Robert. I felt that I made some good changes. The annoying thing had always been trying to work within the board size that I had, knowing that I would not be able to store a larger board on the racking. Well, I at last managed to get the proportions of leg to body how I wanted it - with the use of rather drastic leg surgery!

Third week with model Robert. Had to look carefully at the scale today. Head and chest too big for the legs. Needed some drastic surgery.

This is my second week working on a reclining pose of Robert. I'm finding it very difficult - but worth persevering. I felt pretty despondent last week, because, despite all efforts by me and also by Paul, we could not find my hand from two weeks before. Most frustrating,because I thought I could see what to do with it when I looked at the photos of Renata and the model. Any way, miracle of miracles, I found it yesterday when I was packing up. Someone had moved it, of course. I'm looking forward to having a go at it next week - if it isn't too dry.

Summer Term April 17th

A new term. We carried over the same pose from last term for one more week - and so I started a quick study of a hand. The model is Renata again. As with the ear, it is really good to just study a tiny part of the figure. Hands are very difficult. I hope I can finish it, using photos, because I won't be there next week. Paul eventually found my ear which had been moved. It was almost dry, so I couldn't continue working on it. Luckily it was just soft enough to be able to prick! I quite like it. Not sure about the head which has now been fired! Still, I will bring it home and have a good look at it.

Kat/week 7
Last week of the term - and I continued to work on Kat's ear. It's a really good way to learn about the ear, making a larger than life version. I feel that I have learned a lot by it. Of course, now that I have a photo to compare, I can see how wrong it is - but it is better than it would have been. Anyway, it is all wrapped up now - and I won't be looking at it again until April, when I am back from India

Kat/ week six
I had been dreading this week, returning to my ruined head of Kat. Well, it was as awful as I had anticipated - but I worked at it to some form of completion. It is not nearly as good as it was before - but now I will put it behind me - and learn to be more careful! The middle picture is Kat posing with Anne's head. And the last picture is the beginning of my attempt to do a giant ear - just to get over this feeling about ears being impossible! It is quite interesting doing something as fine as an ear at giant size. Let's see what happens to it next week.

Kat/ week five
Rather a sad set of pictures. I completed Kat's head, cut off the top and completed brain surgery, removing paper, plastic bags and wire. Then I hollowed her out. Then I dropped her! Total disaster! I was so traumatised that I forgot to take a photograph! Paul made consoling noises and helped return her to some semblence of shape. I will have a go next week - but it is really like being back at week one - only more dispiriting! She was the best I have done, so far! Any way, I won't give up! Yet! Pride goes before a fall. And how!

Kat/ week four

I thought I might finish this week - but no! Paul was unimpressed with my attempt at Kat's ears and also pointed out the neck had no real structure. And, of course, when I look at it I can see that he is right, so I will carry on a bit longer. Ears are real sods to do. I'm going to look at the reference pictures I've already taken to see if I've got any ears to look at! I think the face is getting a bit more like her. I asked Paul about casting in lead. It would have to be something very small and in pewter. Lead is too toxic. Not sure I want to do something small.

Kat/week three

It was difficult today - I'm not sure, looking at the photos, whether she looks improved, but I think she will next week. I made a few important changes and just haven't got it quite right yet. Kat has a very fine, lovely face and at the moment mine is quite ugly. But I think I have seen some aspects of the shape of her head. We have her for another four weeks, so there is time. It was quite interesting having my photos of sculpted eyes and noses to look at. Helped a bit. As usual, I really needed Paul to look at my head and point out where she needed more observation. The class was very full today, which meant waiting quite a while to get his input. He's a very popular tutor, so it is not surprising that people keep coming! There seems to be less fall off this term and I think we will remain overcrowded right the way through to Christmas.

Kat / week two

Long way to go with this head. Our model has a fine, egg shaped head, but I haven't quite got it yet. As ever, it takes Paul to point out the obvious bits that are wrong - like the shape of the bit between her mouth and her nose - and once again, I can see for myself that she is Neanderthal and needs her forehead to be fuller. But I'll get there.

Paul had a very good idea that we should go and look specifically at eyes on sculptures. I will do that. Eyes are so weird. They can look so horrible if you get the simplification wrong.

Kat/ week one

New model, Kat, who has a very beautiful head. Very long with a strong chin. I was going to do a figure - but decided that her head was too good to miss. She is with us for six weeks, so there might be time to do something else as well. The beginning of a head is quite hard. I need to get the shape and proportions right, before I decide how to proceed.

I finished off the reclining figure of Francoise. I started by getting rid of all her features, but she still looked all wrong. Paul convinced me that, if she has got nipples and toes, she needs some form of eyes, nose and mouth. I put them back in, but I'm still not that happy with the head. Any way, she is pricked and ready to be fired now.

Francoise/week four

This is my last week with this pose - and I'm not really happy with it. I preferred it last week. The face is not looking good. I think I will simplify it next week. As ever, Paul managed to point out ways to take it forward - but I'm not sure I achieved them. It is OK , but I'd hoped it would be better than that. Tried pricking with a beading needle, but you could still see the holes on the outside, so I might just use an ordinary wire from the inside next week.

I spent most of week three concentrating on the legs and arms. Paul was explaining the three bones that meet at the shoulder, giving it the flexibilty it needs. I think I have improved the legs a bit.

One new piece of information about pricking. Apparently it doesn't matter how thin the holes are - so you can use a beading needle and it would still work, only you wouldn't see the holes. But you would need to be sure you remembered to prick it all over, even though you wouldn't see anything. I've got beading needles, so I think I'll try it next week.