Last Wednesday executive member Kay Bonathan demonstrated how to make a simple two-piece plaster mould to members of TriCity Potters.

Her fellow JingdeZhen attendees Carlene Akester, Hannah Chan, Grace Siu and Eliza Wang helped her by lending some of their moulds. Carlene helped Kay to bring in buckets, plaster and a plastic sheet.

Kay started right at 7pm by explaining the process, showed samples of one and many-piece moulds and a completed apple mould to be opened later. A pear had one half already in a plaster mould and she coated the other side with a resistant oil (tell me its name, Kay!), surrounded it with a cardboard wall, mixed the plaster and applied it to the pear.

To the water she added plaster in gradual handfuls until it was in a little hill above the water level. She mixed it with her hand, to feel where there were any lumps, carefully washing her hand promptly afterwards.

With the leftover plaster she showed that you can add more to add to an already finished mould if it is soaked in water for 30 minutes. While the plaster set up we had our usual announcements, coffee and chat. To finish the evening Kay separated both the apple and pear moulds to excited applause from us!

Having an actual demonstration was most useful and I’m sure members will now be inspired to mix up plaster in their own studios and experiment with their own personal moulds. Thank you so much Kay, for a well-prepared and clear demonstration, and thanks to your mould-making friends for their help too.