Sunday, August 25, 2013

Sea Lion


When I was at primary school, I remember being in a classroom where we were all making things - an art and craft session - maybe it was just clay work. I was probably about 10 years old. The room was a little down from our own classroom.
I made a Sea Lion out of clay. I had no idea what one really looked like, but when it was finished I was very pleased with it. Of course, it may not resemble a proper sea lion at all. I don't know. I was satisfied with the general contours, the stylish twist of the limbs, the muscles, the sleekness. I really felt I'd got it, even though I probably hadn't. And that was about 50 years ago! I've moved house about 6 times, and I've still got it, as you can see from the photo. I'm not particularly bothered if it smashes now, but I hope it lasts a bit longer. Looking at the internet, maybe it looks most like a California Sea Lion, but I wish I had added whiskers! I could have got the whiskers from the bristles of an old toothbrush.
What makes me laugh every time I see it, is that it wasn't going to be a sea lion at all. It was going to be a bird! The major problem I had with the construction was that, as you can imagine, if it is all in solid clay then it is top-heavy - a lump of heavy clay at the top, on thin spindly clay legs. It doesn't work. I have a much better idea of how I would go about it now ... it's taken a few years! I suppose I would have constructed a wire (or similar) frame for the whole bird, and then dipped the relevant parts into the clay mixture, making sure that the body was only coated with clay on the outer side - so that it was considerably lighter than the firm legs. This sort of weight distribution must surely be more like a bird. There are bound to be even more modern techniques for constructing. Maybe computer programmes to do the modelling, but we've got to remember at the time I was just a young boy. How techie does it get now, in primary school?

If you have any ideas for an ideal construction, please send an email or a postcard, card or such like to me at staringout@gmail.com or by post to barrie gordon, 11 Linnett House, Sturton Street, Cambridge CB1 2QE UK  Strictly no prizes, it's just for fun! I may reproduce the ideas on the blog if I can. 

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