A blog about air dry clay, sculpting, and horses
Apartment Ceramics: Pottery at Home Without Your Own Kiln
Working with ceramic clay inside an apartment is totally doable (obviously). There are a couple of safety considerations, but other than that, have at it!
Susie's Sculptures at the Squamish Public Library: July 7- Sept 13
Come and see a selection of my mixed media sculptures and new wood fired ceramic pieces. They will be available for purchase.
Keep it Moist, Keep it Safe: Storing Air Dry Clay
Air dry clay can be pricey, and you might not be able to use a complete package all in one creative session. Storing your clay effectively helps to cut down on waste and ensure you'll be able to use all of your hard-earned material.
Makers' Marks: Signing Your Clay Sculptures
Signing my artwork is usually done as the last step in the sculpting process. Often it feels like putting the cherry on top of an ice cream sundae.
Susie Benes Sculpture Exhibition 2021: Part II
For more details of this exhibition, check out the Part I blog post. Otherwise, please enjoy these images.
Susie Benes Sculpture Exhibition 2021: Part I
For those of you who are not able to come to Vancouver, British Columbia, I've put together a preview to showcase my tiny exhibition.
To Seal and Protect: Varnishing Air Dry Clay Sculptures
If you’re painting your air dry clay sculptures, you may want to consider varnishing them. Varnish is a non-pourous, transparent layer that is put on top of a final artwork.
The Art of Packing & Shipping Clay Sculpture
I often wish I could just toss it in a box with some shredded paper and call it a day, but ceramic and air dry clay sculptures are delicate objects. You must prepare for the worse and hope for the best.
Not Just Paint: Why You Should Prime Air Dry Clay Sculptures
One thing I found is that if you're intending to paint your air dry clay sculpture, like any good artist, you need to prepare your substrate.
Flying Solo: Art Exhibition Prep for July 2020
I knew that the subject of this exhibition would involve horses (no surprise there), and I also wanted to invoke a narrative, something I find very challenging in sculpture.
Paper clay vs Paperclay: Is there a difference?
I recently got a question about porcelain paper clay and whether it can be left to dry and then painted. This got me thinking about 'paper clay' vs 'paperclay'.
Down to the Wire: Armatures for Air Dry Clay
An armature is the inner support system of a sculpture, and they are crucial to making strong and delicate forms in air dry clay.
Manes and Tails: Sculpting Thin Areas with Paper and Air Dry Clay
What do you do when you want to sculpt something wispy, say like a horse's tail? Say hello to your new sculpting friend: paper.
Profiled in Chronicle of the Horse Magazine
I had a profile in the Art Gallery section of the 2018 December edition of the Chronicle of the Horse magazine. What a great Christmas gift!
One Clay to Rule Them All: The Best Air Dry Clays for Artists
I'll get right to the point: there is no one "best" air dry clay for sculpting. I wish there was; it would certainly make my life easier.