Naked Man

All the beads and fabric squares are off.

I'll have to do some work on the plaster and wire armature to strengthen it. The sculpture won't be as heavy this time with wool felt replacing the clay but the arms and head need to be rigid before I can start rebuilding.

It's been quite slow removing first the fabric squares then the beading. I catalogued the locations of the fabric with numbered stickers.

there are 106 square in total.

I marked out the beaded areas into sections, grouping either by the position of the body, like right arm, belly, or by the size of pin or how far the pin was projecting out.

Using a solvent called Zest-it, sold as a less toxic and irritating solvent than white spirit I've made a wax paste with bees wax pellets to continue the material tests.

Having a wax layer does gives the beads something to initially stick to and sink into to, like they did in the wet clay, which will stop the beads falling straight off the new surface. The areas that will have the fabric squares on will have to be dealt with slightly differently so the fabric squares have an inert surface to sit on.

I've been looking at some sculpture heads that are about ten years old.                                 

They are made from the same wool felt with the detail modelled on in a combination of plasticine, wax household emulsion and oil paint. Looking at which parts have been damaged by moths will help me find a medium to protect the wool felt inside Beaded Man.