Ceramic Clay Sculpture

Andree Richmond- The wheeled animals start their life as two bowls, made by pinching a ball of clay thinner until it becomes a hollow shape, which varies depending on which animal she is creating. The body of the animals are made by joining the two shapes (bowls) together and they are paddled into shape. She then rolls and attaches lengths of clay to the body for legs. While these are drying, Andree starts modeling the neck and head. She usually works in sets of three. Going back to the body- legs attaching the axles for the wheels and carving the animal's form from the original rough shape. When the body is complete she goes back to the neck-head and sculpt the details, then attach it to the body. Finally, she sponges the entire piece to make it smooth for painting.  The animal is then allowed to dry and is fired. After washing the piece to remove any dust from the first firing, Andree paints the decoration with underglaze, brush glaze on top and refire. The wheels are then attached and the piece is complete. Why the lids? Andree has always been partial to tins, boxes and secret compartments. She likes the added complexity that an opening to the inside gives the piece.  Each animal is hand built (not from a mold) and hand painted by Andrée, and therefore the size, position, expression, and the colour of their ‘skin’ (surface) varies, just as the characteristics of real animals vary within their own species. Andrée currently maintains over forty different pieces in her Wheeled Animal Collection.