Artists in the Spotlight – Erica

In today's artists in the spotlight we would like to share Erica's wonderfully detailed clay figures. She is 15 years old and is from England. Because of the talent she has, we asked her about her passion and the process of making art.

  Clay figures of the Tudor Dynasty

When did you start making art?
"I started making clay figures almost a year ago now."

Where does your interest in the Tudors come from? When did that start?
"My interest in the Tudors started when I was 9 and learned about them for the first time at school. I found the lives of Henry VIII and his family really fascinating and since then, I wanted to learn as much as I possibly could about them."

What inspired you to make clay figures of the Tudors?
"I had wanted to make clay figures for a while but couldn’t decide on what to make. I tried dragons, unicorns and cats, but it didn’t click for me. After a while I wanted some porcelain Tudor figures, however they were very expensive. Then I remembered I had a lot of clay and decided to try to create my own figures with the help of my mum."

Do you have a favourite Tudor monarch? Who and why?
"My favourite Tudor monarch would have to be Elizabeth I, because she proved to everyone she could be an amazing queen. I admire her a lot and try to follow her example, which is to be strong and intelligent like her and always hold your head up high."

Clay figure of Elizabeth I

What is your favourite clay figure you have made?
"If I had to choose, my favourite clay figure would be Elizabeth I based off of her rainbow portrait. She also took the longest amount of time as we had to glue on all the fabric and feathers onto the clay."

How long does it take you to make a clay figure?
"It depends on how detailed a clay figure has to be. Some can take up to two hours to make whereas a more detailed figure may take up to five hours to complete."

How do you make your artworks? What is the process?
"First, I find a portrait to base a figure off, then check to see if we have enough clay to make it. If we do we create the figures, then bake them in the oven for around ten minutes. Once the oven is turned off we leave the clay figure in the oven for twenty minutes, so they absorb the heat to ensure they are hardened. After the twenty minutes we then paint them."

Clay figure of Mary I

Are you currently working on any Tudor clay figures?
"I am currently planning to create Mary I’s coronation figure and Elizabeth I and Anne of Cleves to go with her because they were both apart of her coronation procession."

Do you want to keep making clay figures in the future? Maybe even make it your profession?
"I will definitely be making more clay figures in the future and would love to make it my profession if I made enough sales."

Want to see more of Erica's stunning clay figures? You can follow her on Instagram: @modellingbackintime