How to Sculpt Mammal Heads in Clay How to Make Clay Art Animals Lisa Naples

I've been interested in learning how to make clay art animals for a long time, but as a functional potter, I have found it difficult to break out of my comfort zone. As both an animal lover and a clay lover (not to mention a big fan of the lovely Lisa Naples), Lisa's video Narrative Animal Sculpture renewed this interest in exploring  figurative animal sculpture.

In this video excerpt, I'm sharing a clip in which Lisa demonstrates sculpting a rabbit's head. Though, as she points out, the process can be applied to all mammals with special attention paid to the unique features of each one. I love the versatility of this technique. - Jennifer Poellot Harnetty, editor

P.S. To see the narrated version of this in real time, pick up a copy of the Narrative Animal Sculpture video!

Interested in Learning How to Make Clay Art Animals?

Animals have long been used as symbols in storytelling all around the world, and visual artists have been using animal figures in artwork for just as long. This clip was excerpted from Narrative Animal Sculpture: Telling Stories with Clay and Found Objects, which is available in the Ceramic Arts Shop! Lisa Naples is the perfect guide to learning to sculpt clay animals!

Pick up your copy today!

Lisa Naples resides in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, where she makes pottery and narrative sculpture from her barn studio. In 1988, she earned her MFA in ceramics from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She has given lectures and workshops at Penland School of Craft, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, and other noted ceramic workshop centers. Her work has been exhibited at the James A. Michener Art Museum, the Washington Craft Show, Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Shows, and other juried shows around the United States. To learn more about Lisa Naples or to see more images of her work, please visit www.lisanaples.com/ceramics.

**First published in 2015.