Paper Cement Clay Update

How is the Paper Cement Clay toad after spending four months outside?

The toad I made with paper cement clay back in July has now been outside for four months. He sat in hot sun, he’s been rained on, and now he’s had a few days of snow in 10°F weather, so it’s time to check up on him and see how he’s doing.

Right now he’s sitting on a concrete bench by my front door so I can keep an eye on him, even when we get a lot more snow. I’m very happy to say that, so far, he’s doing fine.

The sealer I used has not cracked or yellowed in the sun, and the toad’s spots are still the same color they were when I put him outside. There’s no softness or damage to the paper cement clay either, and that’s really promising.

If he’s still doing this well in the spring, we can stop calling the paper cement clay “an experimental recipe,” and go ahead and make our outside sculptures with confidence.

I’m looking forward to making some fake rocks with silly faces, like the ones I made for my Fast Faces book. My yard is really boring now, and some sculpted ‘rocks’ would really liven it up. But I don’t want to make them until we know for sure the paper cement clay will survive a Minnesota winter, so I’ve got my fingers crossed.

Links mentioned in the video:

• The recipe for paper cement clay (I used the recipe that includes joint compound for my toad.)
• The first video in the toad series
• Painting the toad
• The first video in the garden gnome series
• The sealer I used on the toad

Do you have any outdoor sculptures that you’re planning to make? Tell them about them in the comment section below. 🙂