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My Experience with Press Molds
For my press molds and the finished articles I choose to work in Polymer clay. I did this for several reasons;
Polymer Clay is readily available. I didn't have to dig it up, reconstitute it, refine or age it before using it.9 I also find that it is elastic enough to pick up fine details and can be self glazing, much like Egyptian Paste.10 It also comes in many pre-mixed colors.
Polymer Clay does not require many of the tools that conventional terra-cotta clays do. I can fire my molds and the finished pieces in my oven rather than having to use a kiln. I do not have to use special glazes11 to finish my pieces.
Polymer Clay does not require a great deal of space to sculpt with. I use my kitchen table and many common household objects to cast from.
I have used 2 primary techniques to create my pieces. The first is to take a casting from an original that I did not create. For example, with the "Necklace of an Earth Goddess" I took a mold from a glass bead that I already had. I choose to change some of the details when the clay was still soft. The other technique I have used a great deal is to carve a negative. I transferred an image to a light colored clay, using a heavily inked picture, and then carved away the parts I wanted to stand out in the finished piece. This technique is demonstrated best with the "Identification Token" and the "Buttons" I have made. The "Fantasy Flower Button" is made using a multi-part mold, using separate molds for the leaves and the main flower. When using almost any mold you should have a Release Agent.12 I use baking powder, but corn starch and talcum powder work just as well. I have chosen to paint many of my items13 though they can be left unpainted. None of the clays I have used in this display are self glazing, therefore I have used shellac to finish, seal and protect the finished pieces.
Conclusion
Having discovered just how much fun clay and mold making can be; I have enjoyed learning a bit about how it was done then and experimenting with how it can be done now, learning what "Old" techniques can be revived with "Newer" materials.
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