I started off just making a few thank you gifts for some helpful people. Then I started making variations. Before I knew it, I have amassed a whole collection of little hands, and I want to make more! Each one is sculpted and painted differently than the others. There are countless variation possibilities. Working in a series is a lot of fun.
Heartfelt Hands, each hand is about 3" x 6", Made from paper clay with a paper or felt backing
I started out making one hand, and then casting it so I could make multiples. I use paper clay to make the original and also the cast. Then I use paper clay to make duplicates. I cover how to do this in my book.
I realized that it was most fun to cast a plain hand and then make whatever I wanted to put into the palm. The only problem is that now I want to keep making variations of them and I need to get on with other work. I have to admit, it is really great to have something to work on for those days when I feel unproductive and uninspired.
I will be posting some how-to tutorials on youtube.com this month. I will let you know when that happens!