Kina Lens Type 1

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I had an idea of doing a series of three pieces featuring a lens shaped object with a sea urchin shell form (kina in the local lingo) inset into the centre. The three forms would differ by being just a lens shape for one of them, a semi covered over kina detail, and an exposed kina detail for the other two. The one shown here is the one with the “fully expose” kina detail. I made the partially covered one but skimped by not putting in the kina detail. The simple lens shaped one was never made because I was not happy with my ability to achieve a good straight edge along the join of the two hemispheres.

The finish is an oxide mix (burntumber and manganese dioxide) applied reasonably heavily and buffed back to allow the terracotta colour to show through.

For the pattern carved into the top I got bored with carving this sort of thing on another sculpture and devised a cunning scheme. By cutting out truck innertube rubber into the pattern I was after and laying it under the clay as I pressed it into a hemispherical mould when making the lens shapes, I was able to achieve a reasonably tidy inset pattern that could be repeated on the other sculptures of this type.