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Wrapped 10 layers of paper mache around plastic mask

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Helped me understand the bone structure of the hand

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When the project was first announced I immediately knew I wanted to make something that I could make for my family, I wanted to express my appreciation through my art. However my concept and ideas did not come as quickly, it took me a good week of looking at inspiration to finally come to an idea, a koi fish. I remembered back to when I was a kid and my mom would take me to the mall with my two brothers, we couldn’t care less about the stores around us. Impatiently we waited as my mom would do her shopping, it wasn’t until the end that we approached the koi pond. The fish were beautiful, we laughed as the fish opened their mouths begging for food, we all battled and argued about which one was ours and who’s was the best. It wasn’t a common occurrence but it still sits in my head as one of my favorite childhood memories, there was no money involved, and for many others, it might seem stupid but to me, it shows the amazing relationship I have with my parents. Now that I am older I rarely go to the same mall, my parents are not in the best situation as of now due to my grandma’s passing, my mom has had a very hard time recovering and, stressed dealing with my grandma’s house and her other sibling. In my wall relief, I wanted to make myself as the koi fish and have two other objects representing my parents. The lily pad provides shelter and food for the koi and the water lily has similar purposes. The lily pad represents my dad and the water lily as my mom. They have done so much for me and they truly do represent both of these in my life as they provide and care for me no matter what they might be going through. When making each object on my wall relief I didn’t want to construct a replica of the pictures that I had, I wanted it to be my own, just like at the koi pond no one fish is exactly like the other.

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First I made the slab and cut it out into the shape of a circle

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I made another slab and cut it out into rectangles to create the walls

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Slipped and scored the walls onto the circular slab making a peace sign for structure

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First attempt creating the shape of the fish

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Fins were made by cutting the shape and pinching the edges, then I pressed the clay in to create texture

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the first fish shape ended up drying out so I made a new one, I then pressed the scale design into the fish

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I connected both tail and fins onto the fish

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Made the mouth and whiskers

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Added eyes

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Made a lily pad with a thin slab and began constructing the water lily

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Finished flower, however too thin and without the supports the flower cracked and fell apart

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Second attempt at flower, made thicker petals and added supports

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Completed the flower, signed and set to dry

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Idea for pattern to sculpt into the scales of the fish

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Real koi the shape I’m going for

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Flower next to lily pad

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Realistic flower drawing, represents my mom

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Water rushing and wrapping around the fish

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Multiple platforms connect by the fish

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Koi represents me and each lily pad can represent those important to me, lily pads provide both food and shelter to the aquatic wildlife.

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Idea of circular koi pond

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computer designed abandoned building, gives me an idea about the height of my sculpture and how I can use a roof to really extend the height

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Tiny tall house sculpture helps me visualize how I can use clay to build my house

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Abandoned house drawing, I really want to add moss and vines after the firing process

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Another house drawing I want to add that extended room that hangs off the side of the house

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Base Slab

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Cutting out window shapes and walls

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Bird Eyes view of walls

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Completed walls and added a second story, triangle supports for the roof

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Roof placed and windows cut out of second story

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Created a overhanding room on the side of the house

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Triangles on second story to support the tall roof

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Cut out shape of mask and tapped to background

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Used crumpled newspaper to shape the mask then layered over with layers of newspaper

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Shaping the nose

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Cut out eye and mouth holes

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Wrapped wire in order to shape horns and teeth

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Cut holes in head for the horns and used paper mache to hold the teeth in place

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Put all teeth in place

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Used layers of newspaper to create final shape of mask

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Covered mask in spackle and sanded for a smooth surface

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Painted whole mask black for the base layer

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Mixed paint to create the color i wanted then used white to paint the teeth

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Painted the beans gold to outline the horns and eyes

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Wrapped horns in chain and used black to separate the teeth

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User marker and paint to create designs around the mask, glued mesh on the back of the mouth

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Glued velcro straps to the back of mask to make it wearable and added soft padding for a more comfortable fit

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Rolled out a slab and traced my hand in to create the genral shape

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Hand become leather hard so i began to shave down and create majors

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Back of my hand, shaved down the pinky and part of my ring finger to create bone, carved into the hand to reveal bone and muscle underneath

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Front of hand, carved into the palm to create majors and minors

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An idea for my sculpture

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Idea using proportions of my own hand

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Different poses i drew

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Threw a bowl on the wheel then pushed in parts of the bowl

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By pushing in the bowl i created a path to wrap a coil around the bowl

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Wrapped the coil around the entire bowl

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Sculpted the dragons head and attached to the body

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Sculpted a fin all the way around the body

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Began sculpting scales

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Sculpted scales around the entire body

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Hung chains from teeth and put a nose ring