A while back I tried working with paper clay, but it didn't hold my attention. Pushing and prodding, squeezing and flattening, and smoothing to get the desired form are not my preferred activities. (Sculpture by carving and reduction is more to my taste.)
That aside, the advantages to paper clay are several: it's light, doesn't require firing, and doesn't crack when it dries. However, you're limited to small pieces. The material I worked with was Creative Paperclay, which comes in small blocks about the size of a paperback novel. The Papier Mache Resource discusses the differences between paper clay and papier mâché. To make your own paper clay, take a look at the Siegs' blog post at Dahlhart Lane.
Another term for paper clay is fiber clay and this is where the material gets more interesting. If you add paper fiber to ceramic clay, the clay becomes easier to work. A number of artists who work in ceramics have described their work processes and how fiber in the clay helps, such as Graham Hay at the PaperClay Information Site and the proprietors of Lakeside Pottery. There's a good description of the trials and tribulations of working with ceramics at the Magic of Paper Clay; the site also offers solutions.
With paper-infused clay, you can make any just about anything ceramic, just easier. Here are some samples of artists' work.
While looking for images showing paper clay sculptures, I came across the work of José Suris The Fourth. He uses paper clay clay in his pieces, but most evident is his handling of paper. Take a look.
-- Marge
That aside, the advantages to paper clay are several: it's light, doesn't require firing, and doesn't crack when it dries. However, you're limited to small pieces. The material I worked with was Creative Paperclay, which comes in small blocks about the size of a paperback novel. The Papier Mache Resource discusses the differences between paper clay and papier mâché. To make your own paper clay, take a look at the Siegs' blog post at Dahlhart Lane.
Another term for paper clay is fiber clay and this is where the material gets more interesting. If you add paper fiber to ceramic clay, the clay becomes easier to work. A number of artists who work in ceramics have described their work processes and how fiber in the clay helps, such as Graham Hay at the PaperClay Information Site and the proprietors of Lakeside Pottery. There's a good description of the trials and tribulations of working with ceramics at the Magic of Paper Clay; the site also offers solutions.
With paper-infused clay, you can make any just about anything ceramic, just easier. Here are some samples of artists' work.
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| Elizabeth, "Nest2010," CeramicsSculptor |
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_GrahamHay.png "image: paper over ceramic by Graham Hay") |
| Graham Hay, Paper over Ceramic (paperclay), GrahamHay |
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| Linda Mau, "Teapot," lmau |
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While looking for images showing paper clay sculptures, I came across the work of José Suris The Fourth. He uses paper clay clay in his pieces, but most evident is his handling of paper. Take a look.
-- Marge
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