Now I Know My Clay to Zs!

My Clay to Z project is complete!  

I began this endeavor back in March.  The first few letters came slowly, at a rate of about one sculpture per one to two weeks.  Eventually, toward the end of summer, I found a rhythm that helped me achieve the project’s initial goal of increasing efficiency.   I made 20 sculptures (including two commissions unrelated to the ABCs) over the last two months.  September’s output alone trumped last year’s by three times! 

As mentioned in an earlier post, Jake Parker’s “finished, not perfect” mantra played in my mind as I determined to finish all 26 letters before the Wilmore Arts and Crafts Festival on October 1st.  I painted the final zebra stripe at 6:30am on the morning of the festival.  As I looked at the finished, but definitely not perfect, final animal, I was reminded of a thought I had during the recent Summer Olympics: crossing the finish line isn’t always a pretty sight.  Sure, Z isn’t that well executed, but it is executed, and I’m counting that as a win.

Now that I’ve finished Clay to Z, I’m going to take a short sculpting break.  I’m casually participating in Inktober as a transition between this project and my next one.  Starting mid-October, I’ll begin fulfilling rewards for Jonny Jimison’s recently funded Kickstarter campaign.  Whim’s Workshop partnered with him to provide sculptures of his main characters from The Dragon Lord Saga graphic novel as prizes for supporters.  Once I’ve completed those sculptures, I intend to begin work on some more character driven pieces.  I’m looking forward to beginning that process, but as Clay to Z taught me…one letter at a time!