Made by Christine Kepler
I found Jonni’s You tube videos while searching for hypertufa recipes. I’ve used the old paper strip and flour paste paper mache before, and I’d made huge cast concrete leaves, so of course I had to try Jonni’s recipe out. I’d seen pictures on the web using a Styrofoam wig form to create a face urn, so that’s where I started.
I started out attaching the shaved down wig form to a garden paver brick with some of the concrete clay, then gave the hollowed out head a skim coat. After that had dried for a couple days, I mixed up a larger and stiffer batch of clay and modeled the face and hair. I wrapped everything up for a couple weeks, let it cure, then used a wire brush, a large metal rasp, small file, and some emery boards to shave down and refine some of the features. I’ve never sculpted a human face before, so I have some studying to do, but I am hooked on this concrete clay. It is now outside in the rain after three weeks so it can leach out the concrete, then I will be planting it full of trailing sedum to simulate more hair. I want to try a man with a beard next!
Great job!
Thanks so much, Pat.
Your urn looks great, Christine! And your lady’s portrait is really nice – it’s hard to believe you’ve never sculpted a face before. I’m impressed! 🙂
I think you’re the first person to try the cement clay for a pot, so I hope you’ll check back with us and let us know how she holds up over time. The sedum is a great choice – she should end up with a very interesting hairdo.
Thank you for the kind words, Jonni. Truly the first human face/ first sculpture I’ve ever attempted. I did start out college studying to be an art teacher my first year, but the job market for art teachers in public schools is rather thin- and I was 35, so I switched to elementary education. Now I’m retired, reading all the books I can, eating bonbons every day, and playing in concrete! I will definitely keep you posted on the pot’s outcome, and I will also be continuing to play with your dynamite concrete clay recipe since I now have two GALLONS!! of white glue.