Keep An Open Mind

Left Thumb

I try to keep an open mind when it comes to trying new things, because I never know what I'm going to discover. Even so, there are times when I approach a task with preconceived notions.

When I discovered the Sculptors Guild was sponsoring a life casting workshop at Governor's Island this summer, I decided to drag my son there to make models of our hands. The choices available were finger and face, however, I was reluctant to do the face for I wanted to see the process and I could have cared less about the finger because there is nothing interesting about a finger.

Unfortunately, after waiting several hours for our turn, there was only enough supplies and time to make one hand. Since I wanted the memento of my son's hand, I resigned myself to sticking my thumb in the mold.

Painted Nail - Right Thumb

After the workshop, my son and I had several stops to make before we headed home, therefore, we decided not to remove the castings from the mold until later. Once I had the time, I carefully peeled the mold from the casting and admired the model that I had created. In fact, I was so excited by the outcome, I have since made several more models so I could experiment with different finishings.

Lesson learned, keep an open mind with whatever project you attempt. You never know what the results could be.