One thing I discovered, and through an extensive amount of research and observation, is the art of Clay Miniatures. Granted, this discipline can be time consuming as well as hard on the eyes. Nevertheless, it is a highly rewarding and fun artistic pursuit to which I am highly addicted!
A vast amount of research must be conducted, if the Artisan intends upon making her clay miniatures look as authentic as possible. Shown above is a photo of a tiny plate of Sushi I made for a client. Having no love for Sushi myself, I had to research it's appearance, texture, coloration, and preparation. I thought it would be difficult, and for some of the tiny items I was adequately challenged. Having a perfectionist bent can, at times, be cumbersome to an Artist of any discipline. Therefore, making the rice appear as rice is meant to, would have taken hours of making individual rice grains as tiny as the eye of a needle. Rather than add that expense to the Client's piece, I mixed white clay with translucent clay, and textured it until it resembled sticky rice. It is important to note that I have only been making clay miniatures, officially, for a couple of months. With practice and a willingness to branch out from what you're comfortable with, you too can become a Jack or Jane of many artistic ventures, and master them. Practice! Practice! You can't do enough of it!
While I had initially intended upon making this entire post about Clay Food Miniatures, I decided to lump two posts into one. Why? Because I love to talk, and I love to talk about things I love. To that end, allow me take you into the realm of tools, for without them, achieving clay miniature authenticity is nigh on impossible.
Tools, as with any trade, are massively important. Here, in the above photo, I've featured some of my texturing tools. Texture, and shading are very important when making authentic miniatures. By adding just a little texture, and a dab of shading here or there, the Artisan can make all the difference in the attractiveness of any clay piece.
Observing other artistic pursuits can come in handy when imbibing in others that are not at all related. For example, I enjoy painting with oils and acrylics on canvas. My style is collage art that appears aged, and ancient. I enjoy aging paper, painting marble (as in the stone), and adding texture and relief to my canvases. Breathing life into an ancient facade is what I love to do more than any other kind of painting. In saying as much, when it came to my observing the art of Clay Miniatures, it was not hard for me to translate my canvas art techniques, to my clay pieces. Granted, miniatures are nothing like painting on canvas, but shading and texturing come in quite handy.
Moving on...one cannot make Clay Miniatures without the clay. So, here I have featured three brands of four that I use. Fimo is a brand that has it's roots in Europe. It comes in Classic, Effects and Soft. I prefer the soft form of Fimo, because Classic and Effect are stiff as chalk, and require a lot of kneading. Premo is made by Sculpy, and comes in many colors, effects and shimmers. It's among my favorite clays, without being too soft or to hard. Lastly, there is Sculpy III which, in my experience, is the softest, squishiest clay on the market. I would not recommend Sculpy III for Millefiori, Mokume Gane Technique, Canes or anything that must be manipulated often or handled often. I've tried using it for all thee above, and every time it was a failed mess. Fimo is probably the best clay for making Clay Cane and Millefiori pieces, as it retains it's shape even when constantly handled by warm hands. As with any cane, place it in the freezer before slicing, and make doubly certain that the blade you use is clean and razor sharp.
Storing opened Polymer Clay is an important step. While it does not dry out, it can take twice as long to knead, and it will get dusty if not stored properly. Dust is going to be your greatest nemesis when working with this Clay in particular. If you want to retain the clean appearance, and freshness of your Polymer Clay, store it in small jewelry Ziplocs or Ziploc baggies. Do not, however, store it bare or unwrapped in plastic bins as it is known to eat through certain plastics (having suffered this myself, I can confidently warn you against it).
Polymer Clay is a material that requires adult supervision when used by children. Bake Shop Clay, produced by Sculpy is Non-Toxic, and very easy to handle in little hands. When baked, Bake Shop Clay is as hard as a rock. I love it! Unfortunately, it only comes in about 6-8 colors, and if your child wants a greater range of colors, one clay color must be mixed together with other colors to gain the appropriate color. Such a practice is so easy with Bake Shop Clay, as it's very pliable, and mixes with ease. Another positive about this particular brand, is it's affordability. It typically retails for no more than $1.49 per 2oz package.
PLEASE NOTE: All photos, projects and artistic pieces belong to me, were done by my hand. Please do not CCP without express permission from me, the Artist behind the Gardens of Evidarah.
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