This piece was inspired by the Venus icons as old as sculpture itself, most specifically the Venus of Willendorf. I created this sculpture as a test for a pit firing, also referencing back to ancient times. I didn’t bisque fire the piece before the pit fire (hence the broken portions), but I did paint it with some terra sigillatta (note the flaking). This turned out wonderfully because I wanted it to look like an ancient figure from a previous civilization.
As we pulled the pieces from the fire after eight hours of firing, we placed various materials on the surface to decorate it. For my Venus, I dropped horse hair on the surface which immediately disintegrated, leaving those little black squiggle marks. Again, this was perfect for my intended antique look.
Medium: cone 5 clay
Firing: Pit fire
Dimensions: approx. 7″ x 3″ x 3″
