Objective:

• To create, through reductive carving, a small scale memento and to present it on a stage

• To create a plaster cast of your hand (the stage)

Plaster, soap | 5x4x12 in

Reflection:

For my memento project, I ended up carving a pair of ice skates. This object is particularly special to me because my ice skates are what I use to play hockey, which is my winter sport. Hockey is the place where I found lifelong friends and passion for a sport that I hadn’t quite experienced previously. Although I’m not necessarily very good at the game, hockey still plays a very important role in my life, both as an athlete and cheering for my respected teams, and I can’t imagine the person I would be without its influence.

Now that I have completed the project, I understand how personal meaning can affect an artist's commitment to their work, specifically a piece involving a prized possession. As an artist I am motivated to work on, and put lots of time and effort into a piece about something I care about, compared to something that might not excite me.

project? What advice would you give a future sculpture student about carving soap?

Some limitations that I found while working with soap was how difficult it was to see the tiny details I was carving, since the soap flakes would cling to the carving, making it difficult to clear away. Additionally, it was difficult to maintain any thin lines, because they would get filled in, and I would have to go back over them with my needle tool. Some advice I would give a future student who works with soap is to constantly give yourself more room than you think you'd need, because I sometimes would carve too far, and then have to adjust the whole carving.

Overall I think I’ve been fairly successful in creating a clear memento, both with my chosen object, and the composition I used. By slightly offsetting the skates, I was able to create more visual interest, and better communicate my message. Additionally I’ve tried not to add too many details, so as to not overwhelm the eye, so you can focus on one clear image.

Additional Images: