Come up and see my collection of shrunken heads…

Slip-cast porcelain test. Going to try different colouring techniques on these.

With more dramatic arms & flaring coat. I tried to get the coat looking good in the round without taking much liberty with measurements.

“Rodney”, bronze, 38cm, edition of 5+1 AP

“Clancy”, bronze, 40cm, edition of 5+1 AP

Before wax, the final look is a bit darker.

Jack #5/8:

New piece, “Magic Prince”. Metal chasing stage.

This fellow was originally playing a flute, and as he neared completion I put him away in a box, largely I think because I could see the process of producing an edition being fraught with difficulty. When I took him out recently to work on him again, I realised that not only would he be easier to cast if he was playing (hare) bells, he would look better too. I now need to alter his arms and hands, but it will be worth it. I’ve also been fiddling with an arrangement of cravat and shirt ruffles, which might end up getting moulded separately and stuck on in the wax stage.

I should either shut this site down or use it, shouldn’t I? This is the 5th Jack in an edition of 8. He has to be cast in two pieces and welded at the knees, then I grind the welds off and carve texture back into the metal using a die grinder and a dental tool. I’ve given him a test patina to make sure I’m happy with the restored texture. He’s now ready for sandblasting and a proper patina.

Remember the Gleeful Horse? Here he is, still smiling, by the talented Alise Muok. I love the unravelling ribbons and how he looks like he belongs to the world of old toys and games.

You can see some of Alise’s science-related art and read about her microbial research at alisemuok.com.