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12/01/2004: "Building the Cat"

My hands hurt.

Sculpting with clay is physical. All the clay was leather hard--about what you would expect for clay that has sat in a rubber tub for two plus years. I soaked a couple 25 lb blocks into mush and wedged the mush into the leather hard, then rolled out 75 lbs of coils.

I have, in the past, seriously injured my right shoulder doing art. I spent six months in physical therapy, so I know the exercises and I know good muscle tone is the best preventative. I’ve been going to the gym in the mornings and working out on the weight machines; working on strengthening my upper body muscles.

Christmas break is coming! I’ll have 11 days off that I want to spend in my studio.

I started on the cat this evening. It was going to be small, but it grew on me. The tiny cat in the image on the right is my model.