Édouard Jasmin Pottery Plaque

I received this wonderful folk-art plaque by Édouard Jasmin of Quebec and was asked to restore it; but the owner didn't seem to realize that major elements of the cartoon 'story' of the plaque were entirely missing. 

Jasmin told humorous stories in pottery - and I had to scratch my head wondering what this one was about.

Eventually the owner supplied a picture of the plaque which you can see below. Sorry about this picture. I tried to colour correct it a bit, but there was no hope. It was an old paper photograph.

It seems that it took three guys to haul the local beauty queen through the village. Two of them were missing in action.

Modelling in my usually types of clays would actually turn out too smooth and precise and because the photo supplied was quite blurry and lo res, I had to get down and dirty for the effect of horrible sculpting.

I tricked up some awful figures in a spongy modelling foam that was sold in an art supply store for young children, just to see how they would air-dry.

These were very smooth and balloon-like and they got cut up bamboo skewers for their 'traces' for the cart. The more I looked at them, the more I thought I could actually use them.

Here they are again below, with various viscosities of white glue patted over their surface.

By now, I was really taking a shine to these characters. I will let them dry and start colouring them up.