Form Sculpture Unit

Reflection:
Restate your intentions for this project--how did you combine abstracting the figure with an outside influence?  
My original intentions for this project was to create a figure that was in the motion of kicking with one leg. Actually, I think that the shape and size of my original plaster block had greatly influenced how I abstracted the figure. I had originally planned for a block of plaster that was taller so that I could make a human figure. However, the shorter height of the block  influenced my final plan of how I could abstract my figure. Instead of having my sculpture look like a literal person standing, I had made it seem like the man was lying down while still indicating there was a sense of motion in the legs of the person, which was my initial goal. My intentions changed when I was given a block of plaster that had a shorter height than I had planned for.

How did you push yourself to gain a better understanding of the physical properties of the plaster?  In what ways did you come to better control the various tools you employed?
I had originally planned to use a hammer and chisel to efficiently get rid of larger parts of the plaster, however, I realized, that since my block of plaster was actually a lot smaller than most of my classmate's I could actually simply use a chisel to carve the plaster. I originally did not use the chisel as efficiently. However, I learned that having the flat side of the chisel against the part of plaster I wanted to keep would actually help efficiently get rid of more parts of the plaster. 

What were some of the specific formal areas you focused on to realize your piece? how did you employ form, gesture, texture to reinforce your intentions?
The bottom of my plaster block actually had the outline of the side of the milk carton that it was previously in. I used that structure as the bottom of my sculpture so that it would be able to stay situated on the table. I had employed texture through the different ridges and uneven parts of my sculpture to indicate the different parts of the person's body.