One of my favorite things with working in polymer is that I can take a piece of clay and manipulate it into something that takes on its own life. I can then personalize it and give it as a gift to a loved one.
My Dad and I got certified in diving a few years ago together. It was so much fun to take a class together and go through the certification process. At that point, I created a scuba frog out of polymer for him. (I do not have a picture of that original frog, but should I obtain one, I will gladly post it.)
When his birthday came around this year and I asked him what he would like, he said that he wanted another scuba frog to join his first. At this point, I was stumped. I had not really worked with polymer in some time and I had no idea how to "top" that first frog. I contemplated the project for several weeks until I was struck with inspiration while riding the bus home from work. Grabbing my sketch pad, I started frantically sketching out the design so I did not forget my original thoughts.
I had decided that not only would I sculpt a scuba frog, but I wanted to do a combination of mediums to really embrace the diving experience. After a great deal of research, I concluded that one of the best techniques would be to create an "undersea" experience, along with a surface environment.
I found a small glass jar and began sculpting a sandy floor by mixing different colors of clay. I then embedded sand into the surface to simulate the ocean floor and placed real tiny shells. I wanted to place another creature into the sculpture, so I worked on a moray eel. He turned out more cartoonish than I wanted, but his personality that came out of the clay amused me. I gave him a small cave for a home and then surrounded him with marbled kelp.
Below are the pictures of the semi-completed project. My scuba frog has been baked and glazed. My next challenge is working on a resin to embrace and simulate water in the glass. I will post updated photos when the project is complete.
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