I’m working on some maquettes (small versions of a larger sculpture) to prepare for a larger sculpture. This is my Rhino one.

It’s sculpted in clay, then I added holes to prevent moisture getting trapped and the piece exploding. Any clay thicker than a grape will trap the moisture during firing and break or explore. I like to say “It needs to be smaller than grape, or else it will break”.

I then smooth over the holes with a thin layer of clay so you can’t see them.

You can see the finished piece before firing and after.