Professional Seminar - Creative Practice - 3

“Angel of Serenity” has all its parts; water, leaves on wings and hair, so it is now time for me to sculpt. Basically I need to go around every part and sculpt it until it looks just right. Some reflections while I was adding the different parts were on how quickly the rings I made went on to the body of the angel to represent the water. However the small leaves that I cut out with a tiny leaf cookie cutter out of a thin slab were slow and tedious to make. While pounding the clay really thin to cut out the leaves I noticed how my hand marks made a natural impression on the clay that looked like the print on a real leaf. This reminded me of other times when I recognized how when creating with clay I catch a glimpse of how the actual object in nature was created.

I also noticed how I was in a hurry to try to make the leaves quickly so I could get them onto the wings and move onto sculpting. I was reminded that when real leaves were created that each one was slowly and carefully made just right. I could feel how I needed to slow down so I could embrace the creative process, not just for the leaves but for every aspect of the creation of the angel. So I slowed down and really began to embrace the process and began to bond with creating the angel of serenity. While in the flow of bedside patient art I realized how easy it is for me to embrace the creative process, but in my own creative experience, I was in hurry and rushing through the creative process trying to make the most of my time. The creative flow, embracing the process is just as important in my self-care as it is in my practice.

While embracing the process I started to place the leaves onto the body and onto the wings. It felt like I was placing a covering, clothing onto the angel. This reminded me of how leaves are a covering on trees, and how they were used to cover Adam and Eve for clothing in the Garden of Eden. I also reflected on how leaves and feathers look alike and are both coverings.

The pictures are of a test pinch pot I created out of the same clay the angel is created from. I plan to fire and glaze the angel in my own kiln using my underglazes that I am familiar with, so it was necessary to test the clay with my underglazes, glazes and fire in my own kiln. My shell pinch pot test turned out good, so now I know how to finish the angel. The other pictures are of the angel getting ready for its final sculpting, and then it will dry out and be fired and glazed.