Clay Sgraffito

I had a really fun time making these animals in clay and was guided by my interest in these creatures and this art form. I've always loved otters and the way they float on the water, and was inspired to create this with clay. I also thought including a baby otter would be fun with its parent's arms wrapped around them. 

I used clay for the animal's body and used clear glaze to surface the otters with three layers. After it was put in the kiln, it came out clear and shiny. I used clay tools for the scratch marks on the otter's fur. 

I originally aimed to create an elephant sculpture rather than an otter but as the project unfolded the sea otter came to mind. I thought it would be a fun animal to build and mold into shape, especially with a baby otter in its arms. For the surfacing of the otters, I went with scratch marks to show the fur and to maintain its simplistic yet comforting look.