Sculpting the clothed figure – II
The Cracker Packer from the early 1900s is ready to be clothed. Of course she’s already wearing her corset. But it’s now time to sculpt her smock blouse and large wraparound apron, over her own…
The Cracker Packer from the early 1900s is ready to be clothed. Of course she’s already wearing her corset. But it’s now time to sculpt her smock blouse and large wraparound apron, over her own…
The Cracker Packer from the current day – 2017/18 – is ready to be clothed. Sandra has ‘sat’ patiently – and painfully – in the pose for many weeks. At least now she can wear…
Following traditional best practice, I sculpt the Cracker Packer figures unclothed first. Why? If you think about the clothes you are wearing now, where do your clothes touch your body? Our bodies shape the clothing…
First, I need to finalise the Cracker Packers’ figure armatures. My models come in, one at a time, so I can compare them to the armature – many tweaks are required. I also take lots…
Finally it all comes together. It’s easier now to get a feel for the strength and subtlety of the complete sculpture. You can almost hear Emmeline’s rallying cry – “Rise up, women” – above the…
In “Rise up, women”, I want to convey Emmeline’s vitality, courage, dignity, and beauty, while capturing some of her driven and uncompromising nature, essential in transforming the establishment. How to do this? Her stance –…
Much of the joy of sculpting for me is working with models. With a model you can test the pose and make adjustments. It brings an anatomical integrity. In essence, it breathes life into my…
Since 2014, Councillor Andrew Simcock has been leading the WoManchester Statue project to erect a statue of a woman of significance to Manchester. In 2016 it was announced that Emmeline Pankhurst was selected after…
I have studied all the photos available of Sir Nigel – at different ages – and know that I want a likeness of him in his late 50s/early 60s. This is when he was Chief…
Having spent time getting the anatomy of the figure right, it’s time to clothe Sir Nigel. It may seem an odd process, but it really works. If the anatomy isn’t right, the final clothed sculpture…
In order to sculpt a convincing figure of Sir Nigel, I need a life model. Like Rodin, I use the traditional technique of sculpting the figure unclothed first, before sculpting the clothes. Barry McGerr was…
The contract is signed. The commission is a reality. Now I have to sculpt the 7ft 5in sculpture of Sir Nigel Gresley in clay. Gulp. My permanent studio is far too small and is on…