March 22nd 2014: Learning Clay Sculpting in Gloucester

This morning, I had a class scheduled to learn clay sculpting with the Calvo Studio in Gloucester. It had been a long time coming, and I had been waiting to do this since early last year when I bought the deal. I arrived right on time to the place which was very familiar as I had done woodcarving here last year.

After everyone arrived, the class commenced, with our instructor talking about some of the basic concepts associated with clay sculpting. It was interesting to note the contrast between wood carving and clay sculpting, where the former was about working from the outside inwards, and the latter was about building from the inside out. It was also interesting that a material like burlap is so effective at removing oil and clay.

We were to make a model of a human being, like the one shown below.

The instructor told us that the two most important lines for any model were the profile line and the line perpendicular to it indicating the width of the model. To help us, we were given a wooden structure in the shape of the profile line to start off with.

We then went to the clay bin to get out a lot of oil-based clay to make our model with.

It was then time to start sticking pieces of rolled up clay to the base to make up the profile line.

With the profile line done,

it time to start on the width line. The proper way to do this is to cut a rough center line on each side of the profile, then add pieces of clay to the line to make the width line, and eventually fill in between the profile and the width lines to make the whole model.

Instead of doing that, I just plastered much larger pieces to my profile using the model as a guide, eventually getting a pretty decent figure, although I had to do quite a bit of touching up in order to make it better, especially getting the angles right.

Unfortunately, with the class coming to an end, the model had to be dismantled, and we had to scrape the clay almost completely off the wood. I was just amazed at how much clay I had actually used to make my piece. I should have taken a picture of it, as the instructor had suggested. Oh well.

With the class over, I decided to head into town to grab some lunch, taking a picture of the Inner Harbor at 221 East Main Street along the way.

On the instructor's recommendation, I decided to check out Passports, a small town restaurant with a pretty interesting menu.

Spoilt for choice, I decided to go for the Wild Mushroom Torte (layers of crepes and duxelle with apricot demiglaze)

and the Oyster Stew (with leeks, potatoes, sherry, Old Bay and Cream),

choosing not to go with a main course  on my waiter's recommendation that the 2 dishes I had already ordered were pretty filling, which they actually were.

I got a popover for starters, and it was so good I ate it all immediately.

The torte was really well presented, and tasted just as good.

The stew was pretty interesting tasting, although the leeks weren't too much to my liking.

Overall though, I think my instructor got it right with this place.

After lunch, I decided to try to check out some museums in town. Unfortunately, most of them are currently closed till May, like Maritime Gloucester.

Thankfully, the Diving Locker Museum at 95 East Main Street was open today, holding interesting diving suits from days past, as well as props from movies like Master and Commander and The Perfect Storm, and artifacts from shipwrecks.

From here, I headed out to Webster Pier right outside, where there were decent views of the South Channel

and Ten Pound Island Light.

I next went to Captain Solomon Jacobs Park at 19 Harbor Loop right next door, which has similar views of the area as well.

Nearby atop a hill, is the historic Fitz Henry Lane House,

where there is also a statue of a seafarer on the rocks,

and decent views as well.

Other places I checked out in the immediate area were the Dory Shop, a functioning shipbuilding shop,

and a killer whale bust outside the Captain Bill and Son's Whale Watch building, which was closed for the season as well.

After a few interesting buildings,

Our Lady of Good Voyage Church

Cruiseport Gloucester

The Church at East Main Street

St. Anthony by the Sea Chapel

Eastern Point Day School

Niles Pond,

Eastern Point Boulevard and Lake Avenue

Beauport, the Sleeper McCann House

more views of the ocean were to be had at Gordon Thomas Park at the corner of Parker Street and East Main Street,

the Jodrey State Fish Pier at the end of Parker Street,

Cripple Cove at East Main Street and Sayward Street,

Robinson's Landing at the end of Pirate's Lane,

Wonson Cove Park at 12 Rocky Neck Avenue,

Oakes Cove Beach, a private beach at Stevens Lane and Wonson Street,

Niles Beach, a pretty decent beach at Eastern Point Boulevard and Farrington Avenue,

and Lighthouse Cove, another private beach at 115 Eastern Point Boulevard.

One place of note was the Dog Bar Breakwater Light, located within the Eastern Point Wildlife Sanctuary.

There is also the Eastern Point Lighthouse here.

In order to get to the breakwater lighthouse, one has to walk out onto a long narrow "bridge" made of stone. I took a few pictures of the views while getting to the breakwater.

Finally at the breakwater,

it was cool to see how the waves would crash on one side of it, while it was calm on the other at all times.

I then began my trek to the lighthouse at the end of the breakwater, taking pictures of the surroundings as I went along.

Finally at the lighthouse,

I climbed up onto the rocks here to take one last picture

before heading back to the mainland.

The best was yet to come though, at the Good Harbor Beach at Bass Avenue and Thatcher Road in town.

Besides the beautiful views of the ocean at this big beach with nice waves and even surfers,

there were also views of the Thacher Island twin lighthouses

Salt Island

and the Bass Rocks.

There were more views of the rocks and the lovely coastline from along Atlantic Road, like at the Elks at Bass Rocks.

With the sun setting, I decided to call it a day, and headed to Andover for dinner, where I had a deal to use at Brasserie 28, a pretty upscale bar restaurant in town.

I started off with the Seared Foie Gras (Quince, Plump Raisins, Buttery Brioche, Oats) appetizer, 

which was done and presented really well, with excellent tastes and textures melding together to boot.

The Sweet Potato Agnolotti (Duck Confit, Black Kale Cranberry, Almond) was pretty good as well,

which made me want to get more out of this place, getting the Gianduja Chocolate Terrine (tangerine Sorbetto, candied Hazelnuts) for dessert.

Simply excellent, with the mandarin oranges completing the amalgam of tastes.

Needless to say, a definite recommend from me, and a perfect end to a day of clay sculpting and beaches in Gloucester.