The front leg forms and the head are covered using muslin strips and the body is covered with burlap. Blending between the two is done with loose fiber soaked in cement and acrylic. Back legs and tail await further work on the base, which can be easily trimmed to fit. The front legs are partially cured at this point, they have a strength which is superior to burlap fabric. Muslin absorbs the acrylic and cement mixture and because it is thinner has more alternating layers of fabric and cement.
A lean to the right side is compensated for by shaping and addition of more material on the left side. A neighborhood art critic showed up at this point and mentioned that the shape looked more like a bowling pin or a penguin with a dinosaur head than an Egyptian cat. My response was that this is a model to illustrate technical aspects of a material which is perfect for sculpture as well as sculptured structures. ÒSo show us how to fix something that doesnÕt look right,Ó the critic answered without missing a beat. ÒCan you fix it?Ó Yes. First, let the structure cure a few days and gain strength.
Step one in alteration of the shape is to go over the previous work with a rough wood file and smooth outward projections that will obstruct the application of new material. Brush or blow dust from the work so bonding is not hindered.
Mix some acrylic and cement in a small container and make fiber base plaster in small batches. The measuring cup is 80 ml (1/3 cup) and the fiber is long strands of hemp cut to convenient working lengths as needed. Sifted cement powder is kept in the can visible next to the measure.
Long strand hemp fiber is better than burlap at all stages of this work, flax fiber is often easier to locate and also makes a nice sculptural plaster. Burlap fabric tends to repel the mixture while the loose fiber is completely saturated for better overall hardness and strength. The long strands can be smoothed into a flat saturated mass on the plastic sheet, then picked up and placed with pallet knifes. Muslin fabric does not repel the mixture.
My dear departed wife and friend, Susan Crapo, was an extraordinary artist. She held back through this process till she couldnÕt keep quiet any longer.
ÒIs it really supposed to be an egyptian cat?Ó she asked.
I nodded, Òyes.Ó
ÒThe stomach is too fat,Ó she blurted out, speaking her pent up critique quickly.
I could see that she didnÕt want to hurt my feelings. ÒNo problem,Ó I answered.
ÒCan you really fix it?Ó She asked, smiling with visible relief.
HereÕs how to alter this kind of work, subtractively. A knife point will penetrate the burlap and cement without too much trouble, use a hammer to drive it through if necessary.
Use the scissors and the knife to cut away the original first layer. Grasp the wire with needle nose pliers and twist while pushing the wire inward.
Some of the older material will be broken around the perimeter of the repair area as the wire and the surface is pushed inward with the fingers, this is not a problem.
The new stomach area profile is entirely made up of long hemp strands which are flattened into a thin mat and then placed on the bare wire using the two pallet knives. It was easy to make this alteration with the cat positioned on its back and the stomach area then being a simple supporting surface. Though it is a normal propensity to keep going with what work has previously been done, the material is so easy to work with that one should not hesitate to change what needs to be changed.
