"Can they go outside?"...is the question I get asked right after "What are they made of?"!
The answer to the first question is yes, although I'm still testing my sculptures for longevity outside. (To find the answer to the second question look further in my Blog.) Over the past couple of years I have been experimenting with a variety of materials to seal my sculptures, my favourites being both clear casting resin and varnish and can say both products offer a degree of waterproofing. I have been testing a selection of pieces outside in my garden and I have found that whilst resin provides a good seal, yacht varnish is a much nicer and easier product to use overall. It also means that additional layers of varnish can be applied to refresh the weather protection later on - just as you might do a boat.
I have also concocted a bespoke "Posh Paper Mache" mix that I use to sculpt my work, and which I have experimented with and tailored to my own requirements. This incorporates ingredients used in the building industry that inherently provide a water resistant quality to the body of the sculpture as a whole. There are lots of examples of how I construct pieces elswhere in my Blog and you can access and keep my particular Posh Paper Mache recipe for a small payment.
(I have also provided you with an everyday paper mache recipe so you can make pieces yourself at home, but which won't be weatherproof - free in my Blog.)
Originally, a key goal for my work was to find a way to make paper mache sculpture suitably waterproof so it was at least comparable in lifespan and durability to other artwork that you might place outdoors, such as willow sculpture. I can confidently say that I have at least achieved this aim and am looking to surpass that by, in time, proving that they are permanently durable.
I first placed a few sculptures out in the elements on 13th December 2022 (lucky for some!) and although they are looking a little grubby, they are so far virtually untouched by the great British climate! Watch this space and follow me on Instagram @taniasgallery to find out if my sculptures really do last outdoors for years and years...!
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