Polymer Clay "The Poet" Sculpture

Materials:

polymer clay: black, white, red, beige, gold, silver, blue and brown
cutting board/work surface/worktable
pasta machine
clay-cutting blade
floral wire
small cookie cutter
pin or needle
adhesive tape
toaster oven with flat baking sheet
tube of white glue

1. Soften one-quarter block of brown clay in your hands by rolling and folding. Form a cane and place it in a clay-dedicated pasta machine set on #7. Process the clay, and then place it on a work surface.

2. Run 1/4 the amount of beige clay through the pasta machine, using setting #5.

3. Place the brown and beige clay sheets on top of each other.

4. Trim the edges to form a uniform sheet.

5. Cut the sheet into two pieces, and then place one on top of the other piece.

7. Cut the sheet into seven long planks. Cut again into 14 planks.

8. Cut an extra plank for the middle of the stage.

9. Place seven planks on both sides of the middle plank to form the stage (figure B).

10. Process additional brown clay as in step #1. Set the stage on the sheet of brown clay. Trim around the stage with a razor blade.

11. Roll scraps of clay (just cut off the stage base) in your hands to form a thin round noodle shape. Make it long enough to reach all the way around the stage base (figure C). Secure to the base by hand.

12. Cut a small amount of silver clay with a razor blade and roll into very small clay balls to simulate nail heads. Place two nail heads, a little apart from each other, on the end of each plank. Repeat for the middle plank, matching up the nails to middle (figure D). The stage measures approximately 2-1/2" x 3-1/2".