Portrait Bust – Self

This is the very first Portrait Bust I ever made. A great challenge and a dream come true at the time. I had admired portrait busts by artists from art books for many years, and was excited to finally be making one myself. I worked mostly from photos and from the mirror. Driving home how differently we perceive ourselves (mirror reflection) and how others see us (photos).

It was also my first experience of making a 2-piece mould. I modeled it in clay, made the mould in Plaster-of-Paris, removed the clay and cleaned the mould, and then packed the mould with cement fondue (a dark, very hard cement often used by artists) concrete. Finally there was the chipping away of the plaster to reveal the cured concrete portrait, careful not to damage the surface in the slow process.

I am happy to say that I continue to make Portrait Busts for clients, but now they are cast into bronze at the foundry. Click here to view the Bronze Portrait busts that I have made to date.

Cement Fondue | cm | kg | 1987 | Exhibition: Student Artworks