First Step Last Stage.

For those who have followed my progress over the many years, they are aware that I have sought to create a sculptural process that enthralls me throughout, from inspiration and design through to materials, structure and now onward to the final stage, that being the part only seen by the viewer as a finished piece.
Notwithstanding becoming bored, disinterested or frustrated each stage of forming this personal process has brought 6 years of emotional roller coaster, a plethora of practice, of trial and error, of sometimes (average) success or ultimate and sometimes epic failures, only through a persistence for total job satisfaction have I reached this stage through more changes in direction than I can remember, reaching out to something new and unknown only to abandon and discard, lodged in my memory bank subtle ideas that would be useful in future projects and then to turn the page to the next idea in the plan to research, always as is the saying, ''hoping for the best, anticipating the worse''.

This process of trial and elimination continues today  launching on this, a new direction for the final veneer  and visit a Garage spray shop as I seek out  iridescent light changing colours, another purpose of the visit was to establish if a garage paint shop oven reaches sufficiently high enough temperatures to bake, sadly they only reach 100 deg c and I am looking for 130deg, back to the drawing board; the ultimate plan of course is to  commission a bespoke home oven however there are other alternatives to explore before reaching that point, once thought of in an earlier project, I turn my attention now to a possible baking solution in commercial pottery kilns, perhaps they are able to be regulated to a very low temperature also.

Iridescent Pallet

The garage now has a test piece for paintwork and I wait in anticipation for that call which will let me know if, on this occasion and once again, whether Success or Failure is found at this final stage of my sculptural process if not, time to dig out the Aiwata air spray and compressor for a stage I don't really relish or see in my sculpture practice.

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A Quiet Return It’s been a few years since anything new appeared on this blog. No dramatic exit, no crisis, no grand story — just life unfolding in its own quiet way while I wandered off into a long stretch of creative exploration. I didn’t spend that time chasing expectations or trying to produce anything impressive. In fact, it was the opposite. I let myself make things without pressure, without anticipation, and without any need for an audience. It was a good kind of absence — the sort that gives you space to breathe and rediscover what you enjoy. Along the way, painting slipped out of my hands. Not abandoned in frustration, just… released. It had carried me through many chapters, but eventually it felt like a language I’d said enough in. So I turned to sculpture, almost by accident, and found myself on a long, meandering tour through every material within reach. Papier‑mâché came first — messy, forgiving, and strangely liberating.Foam followed, stubborn but full of possibility.Cardboard had its moment too, proving far more architectural than I expected. Each material taught me something different about form, weight, and patience. And then, gradually, I settled into polymer clay. It felt right — structured but flexible, expressive without demanding perfection. It opened a new path, and with it came another journey: exploring genre, tone, and character in ways paint never quite allowed. So yes, I’ve been away. But not idle.Just quietly occupied in the kind of creative work that doesn’t need announcing. Now the blog returns — not as a relaunch, not as a promise, but simply as a continuation. A place to share what I’ve been shaping, learning, and enjoying along the way. If you’ve found your way back here too, welcome. Let’s see where this next chapter leads.

Polymer Clay 01

grounding