How to Develop a Narrative with Your Ceramic Sculptures
Clay Badgers just Decorated
Enhancing the Impact of Your Work
I was part way through my crazy #60creatures60days challenge from a few years ago, when I realised that the impact of a sculpture became much stronger when there was the suggestion of a story.
Here are 3 things you might like to consider when you make your next clay character.
The Surface Decoration
Texture, Underglaze or other mediums can add elements which enhance the sense of your character. In the case of the badgers in the above image, the bright colours and carnival style patterns suggest that these Badgers belong to a traveling show or perhaps just have an eccentric nature.
Objects and Forms
Accessorising your characters can further add to your narrative. What are they holding? How? Does anything suggest Why they might be doing that?Other props you might find useful are parts of the scene or landscape they are in, other characters they are interacting, or items they might be wearing.
Body Language
Gesture, posture, and facial expression significantly influence our perception of a character, enhancing the narrative by illustrating their interactions with different elements of the sculpture.
Here are a few Examples
The Rabbits
These Rabbits are built to sit close together, and are positioned so that their heads lean in toward each other to suggest closeness, communication and friendship.
The addition of little backpacks indicate they might be planning a journey, or are a part of the same group.
The Badgers
These Badgers are smiling to suggest that they are happy and enthusiastic about the situation they find themselves in.
This adds to a suggested narrative of a journey or a job they hold in carrying colourful berries, with their carnival style saddles.
The 2 storytelling elements combined, create a whimsical narrative of 2 happy badgers having a little pause before they go on their way.
If you like, you can head to Instagram and watch a little video on this theme with the badgers.
Archer
Archer has little face expression, to indicate a more serious mood or character.
He carries a quiver of arrows on his back, and leans forward a little to suggest he is tired or perhaps waiting.
The idea of carrying an item implies that the character is in motion or traveling.
The beauty in these creations lies in their ability to merely 'suggest' a story or evoke a sense of character. What matters most is the opportunity for the viewer to engage, allowing them to create their own narratives. This space for interpretation fosters a deeper connection, making each experience more personal, and ultimately, more meaningful.
How to Get Started with your Own Clay Creatures?
I have 3 ways that you can get started or improve your sculpting with me at River Ceramics.
My Online Creative Creatures Course takes you step by step through 2 projects; 1 small and 1 multi-day larger piece. This will give you a stack of skills, but most importantly the confidence to keep going.
My Local workshops run a few times a year, and over 2 hours or so I introduce you to the method where we make a small character that I can fire for you.
The Upcoming Creative Retreats I am hosting here in Margaret River have a good sculpting element with the opportunity to dive deeper and build a more complex character over 2-3 sessions. Seats are filling fast so book now to secure your place!
The Row Cottages