Sgraffito Puffin

After choosing an aquatic animal to study, we were asked to produce it out of clay using the pinch-pot method. I have always had an interest in the visual characteristics of puffins and have fond memories of a rough (and failed) puffin boat tour from years ago. I decided it would be a fun bird to create, especially with the sgraffito designs we would be using to decorate the final product. It was an extremely fun and fascinating form to create, specifically in the details of the face and the added detail within the sgraffito. After creating the initial form, I realized it would be somewhat difficult to choose a method of displaying the final product, since the body itself was pretty heavy and my hopes of adding it’s thin legs and large, webbed feet had to be altered slightly to support the figure. After considering my ideas for a number of days before going for anything, I decided a strong base would be the smartest way to display the form while still incorporating the legs and feet; sculpting a rock-like formation and building the feet directly onto the surface, to later add wire legs once it was fired and finished. I was surprised by how well the wire held the body and allowed for some slight movement of the bird once it was standing as well as added a slight contrast between the thick torso and thin wire.