Hand Built Snail
- Details
- Last Updated: Thursday, 09 November 2017 17:06
Products Used
Material- 3lbs Low Fire Clay
- SC-88 Tu Tu Tango
- SC-97 Cant-elope
- CG-966 Tiger Lily
Decorating Accessories
- CB-604 #4 Soft Fan
- CD-777 Oval Slump & Hump Mold
- XAR09 NamiWaves Art Roller
Additional Materials
- Rolling Pin
- Needle Tool
- 3/8" Wooden Slats
- Paper
Designer: Chelsea Proctor
Instructions
Construction
- Wedge a 3lb ball of low fire clay
- With a rolling pin, roll out a clay slab in between 2, 3/8" wooden slats.
- Choose an oval side for the body of the snail. Make 2 paper stencils of the oval size desired.
- Place the stencils on the clay slab and cut out the 2 oval shapes.
- Add texture to the oval shapes by rolling XAR09 NamiWaves Art Roller over both ovals.
- With the texture side facing down, place the oval in the CD777 Oval Slump mold. Let the slab sit in the mold for 15-30 minutes. Repeat with other oval, textured side facing down.
- Roll out another 3/8" slab and cut 3 long strips that are 2 -3" wide and long enough to go all the way around the slumped ovals.
- Attach one of the strips to one of the ovals using a slip, score and attaching method. Then attach the remaining oval to create an enclosed piece. Be sure to create a small hole into the underside of the snails shell (oval piece) for an air escape.
- With the other 2 long strips, attach 1 slab strip to the underside of the snail shell. Leave a few inches in the back for the tail and the rest for the head of the snail. Make sure you don't cover the air escape hole from the shell.
- Cut the end of the snail's tail to a point.
- Take the other end of the slab and attach it to the shell to keep the head of the snail up.
- Using the 3rd slab strip, create a tube for the other half of the head. Attach one part of the slab to the attached piece on the snail.
- Close up the top of the tube and pinch forms for the snail's sensors and head shape.
- Let snail dry slowly and evenly.
- Fire to shelf cone 04.
Glazing
- Begin with properly fired shelf cone 04 bisque. Moisten a clean sponge and wipe bisque to remove any dust.
- Using CB-604 #4 Soft Fan brush, apply 1 heavy coat of SC-97 Cant-elope to the textured part of the shell.
- Once dry, take a damp BT-910 Synthetic Sponge and wipe away the SC-97 Cant-elope, leaving glaze in the texture part of the shell.
- When dry, using CB-604 #4 Soft Fan, apply 3 coats of CG-966 Tiger Lily to the shell of the snail. CG-966 Tiger Lily is a translucent crystal glaze so the SC-97 Cant-elope will show through.
- Using CB-604 #4 Soft Fan, apply 3 coats of SC-88 Tu Tu Tango to the body of the snail.
- While the third coat of SC-88 Tu Tu Tango is drying, float a coat of SC-97 Cant-elope around the shell. Blending the 2 colors together.
- Fire to shelf cone 06.