MYSTERY BEHIND THE KEYHOLE
Darlene Olivia McElroy
Painted and collage-cast embossed window shape glued on background with E6000.
Remember how much fun we had making plaster of Paris hand casts for our parents as children? This is the grown-up version of that. And it still is tons of fun! There are multiple ways to cast with clay and they are all great ways to add dimension to your art. Each of these casting materials gives you a different look and feel:
Plaster of Paris—This creates a soft, chalky cast. It takes paint well and you can give it a hard surface with GAC 800 or a resin coating. Drying time is approximately 20–30 minutes, and the clay mold can be reused if stored properly.
Resin—This creates a very hard surface but is somewhat toxic, so work in a well-ventilated area with a mask. The resin can be tinted with resin colors prior to pouring. Some resins come precolored. Resin takes approximately 15 minutes to set up. Clay molds are unable to be reused after casting with resin.
Fiber Paste by Golden—This has a flexible, handmade paper feel when dry. Drying time may be as long as a day. The fiber paste gives you more flexibility because it can be bent, folded, sewn and stapled. It can be made into sculptural shapes and it takes paints extremely well. The clay mold cannot be reused after casting.