The Reveal...

Well there is bad news AND good news! So I'll start with the bad and end on a good note. Here's the air dried tub of plaster of paris. Note that there is a largish air hole in the middle. When I poured this second layer of thin plaster, I rushed it and didn't pay attention to air bubbles. Normally I'd gently shake the tub to allow bubbles to come to the surface and then pop them. Dried air holes mean holes in the plaster. Sometimes I take a small bit of wet plaster and coat the surface of the plasticine first and then pour the bulk of the plaster on top of that. In any event, this is what I have to work with.

I pried off the plastic tub from the dried plaster and found that the first layer that was the texture of ice cream in fact didn't do much at all as far as actually filling in the plastic form I was using. So it is as unstable as all heck.

In any event, I have to separate the two layers of dried plaster to get the two-part mold. Normally I use a metal chisel with a wide edge and tap it all around with a rubber mallet, going all around the outside where I can see the two sections of plaster meet. Here, however, I'm using a screw driver because I am not fussy.

So the two sections of dried plaster have been separated and this is a two part mold you are viewing.

Normally I'd dig out the plasticine completely freeing it from the mold. Then I'd let the 2 mold pieces dry further and knowing me I'd be wanting to use them so would likely bake them in a very very low oven or on top of a rack, stove top. But I can tell that this mold is unuseable because the face indentation in the mold is not up to scratch. For starters it isn't a large area to work with, and second, to add insult to injury, there are air bubbles which further destroy the small area there was in the first place. AND HERE IS THE GOOD NEWS! The fella's face hasn't been destroyed. I can release him in one piece away from the plaster, and rework him; then pour another mold from him! He will live to tell the story of his birth.

Here is a close up of his mug. I'd taken the screw driver and gently tapped alongside the plasticine and it does release. You know it it so interesting. Each sculpted piece takes on a personality and I get emotionally attached to the figure. I would have been sad to see this guy go. So there it is. I will be pouring another mold and when I get to this stage again (with a useable mold) I will come back and show you how to use the plaster of paris two-part mold. I'm going to see if I can round up some sort of chocolate around here to celebrate. Thanks for popping in, and we'll see you soon I hope! *smiles* Norma