Mastering Sculpture: The Figure in Clay

Cristina Córdova is a contemporary artist and sculpting instructor whose work is collected around the world. She is featured in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Colección Acosta de San Juan, Puerto Rico; the Mint Museum of Craft + Design; the Museum of Contemporary Art; and the Alfred Ceramic Art Museum, among others. She is the recipient of many prestigious awards and grants, including the Smithsonian Women’s Committee Delphi Award, several International Association of Art Critics of Puerto Rico awards, a United States Artists Fellowship, an NC Arts Council Fellowship Grant, and a Virginia Groot Foundation Recognition Grant. Her work is widely featured in all major ceramics and arts media, including the covers of Ceramics Monthly, and was featured by Craft in America, on PBS, in their episode on Identity.Cristina has taught and demonstrated around the world, though she focuses mostly on US locations. Her residencies, workshops, and classes include: Harvard University, the University of California, the University of Nebraska, the University of Georgia, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Ceramistas de Reñaca in Chile, the Australian National University in Canberra, Gaya Ceramics in Bali, Penland School of Crafts (NC), Haystack Mountain School (ME), Santa Fe Clay (NM), Mudfire (GA), Odyssey Center for Ceramics (NC), and Anderson Ranch (CO), among others.

• ForewordIntroduction1 PREPARATIONStudio SetupFinding InspirationSimple Armature ConstructionExternal Supports2 GETTING STARTEDHow to Make a SlabUsing Patterns3 ASSEMBLING LOWER BODY PARTS ON ARMATUREPreparing Your ArmatureJoineryFootprint and Lower LegThe FootUpper LegPelvis4 ASSEMBLING THE UPPER BODYGetting StartedAttaching Torso to PelvisThe NeckBreastsArms5 THE HEADUsing a Pattern to Create a Head ShapeAdding Facial FeaturesRefining FeaturesFleshing: Creating Flow and ContinuityHairAttaching Head to Neck6 HANDSForming the HandsAttaching the Hands7 FLESHING OUT CORE FORMSVentingReading Contours with Additional Photographic Views to Achieve AccuracyThe ProcessArtistic Considerations8 SURFACE DEVELOPMENT, DRYING, AND FIRINGSurface DevelopmentDrying and FiringAppendix A: Four Cardinal ViewsAppendix B: Model Reference PhotosAppendix C: Illustrative ReferencesAppendix D: TemplatesAcknowledgmentsResourcesAbout the AuthorIndex

“Readers of this book will discover that Cristina is an alchemist, mixing accuracy and instinct in perfect measure to bring clay, slip, and glaze to life. As an artist, she translates the human form with sensitivity and expression. As an instructor, she articulates complex information clearly and deliberately for sculptors at any level of experience. Cristina’s fascination with the human form is infectious; her commitment and attention to detail are constants throughout the book.”