Regular readers might remember that I have started casting pumpkins on a mold I created. I cast a pumpkin on each half of the mold. When all the first three layers are finished, I pull the pumpkin off the mold and use hot glue to hold the layer together before adding more layers of paper mâché. This gives me the option to make several pumpkins from the mold rather than starting each one from scratch. I don't really plan to make too many pumpkins this size as finished paper mâché pieces. Once the weather turns cooler, I plan to make some pumpkins from hypertufa (a lightweight form of cement) and will use this form to make molds for those pumpkins. However, until the Coid-19 crisis calms down more, I am not going out to get materials so I am contenting myself with making some paper mâché pumpkins.
I always like to experiment when I make something. In my last blog post I had written about using some thin-set mortar ad mix to see if it might waterproof the paper mâché. It worked quite well. I had made a ball using a paper mache flour paste mixed with the thin set mortar ad mix. No other paint or sealer was applied. The ball was wet all over and set in a pail of water for two hours. After the ball was removed from the water and allowed to dry is was as hard as it was before being wet. No edges came off or even loose. The experiment was such a success, that I decided I would try using the product on this paper mâché pumpkin. For more information on the experiment or for how I built the form, scroll back to the previous posts from earlier this year or view the blog at http://folkartbycaroljones.blogspot.com/
So far, so good. When I cut open the eyes, mouth, and top with a craft knife, the layers of paper mâché seemed to have bonded together slightly better than they do when just a plain flour paste is used. There seemed to be less dust falling when the areas were cut.
I used foil and masking tape to build up the features on the pumpkin. The tape stuck to the pumpkin with no problems at all.
Right now, the pumpkin reminds me of a tired old man. I expect he will look much more sinister once the rest of the details are added. I still have to add the teeth and the eyes. The eyes hold a lot of the expression.
Since I took the photo of the new pumpkin, I have put on three coats of paper mâché over the features and the seam where the halves of the pumpkin were put together. I have also started working on the eyes, which are being cast separately from the pumpkin so I can work on them more easily. The lid of the pumpkin has its first coat of paper mâché.
I will be posting more on this pumpkin next week. Check back then.
