Rosanna Gusler

"Totem"
life size

Process and Materials: I started by drawing my life sized concept on paper. I left it out in the studio all the time as I figured it out. I worked on that part for a month or so. The face hands and fish were cast in plaster/alumina molds. The hands were life cast and the others I made of plasticine. The moon and Star were made of copper foil that i placed on a sand bed in the kiln. After firing they were gold leafed. The waves were done with fiberpaper and enamel. The ferns are enamel. The sun was stamped into the sand with a styrofoam sun i carved with a dremmel. The peace signs were stamped into the sand with a little wood stamp that i carved with a dremmel. Anyhow, the whole assemblege was stacked together with fiber board and bricks and fiber and sand. Three-eighths inch float glass was put on it, tin side down. I then painted the sun and other colors on the back side of the piece using Ferro enamels. It was fired to 1530f with a 40 min hold. Joe made me the wonderful stand from wood. The beads in the hair are all float and bottle glass worked in a hot head torch. It was fun.

Content / Intent Statement: This self portrait holds and uses symbols that are important to me. From the bottom to the top: Peace signs: we waste resources on war. Ferns: love for the earth and growing things. Waves: love and total respect for the ocean in all her moods. Sunrise: most of the best days of my life have started by seeing a sunrise over the ocean. Moon and star: pictograph symbols for the moon and venus. The symbol for Ishtar, the goddess of female satisfaction. My hands: warts, wrinkles and all, they have seen and done a lot. My face: keeps my brain from falling out. Hair: was a way to use more metal in the piece. I really love glass and metal.

Details

To view a series of process images, go to: http://tinyurl.com/hmm25