Santons: People of the grass - Revision history

Thesoftprotestdigest: /* Completed santons of arthropods’ species */

2025-09-13T18:39:14Z

Completed santons of arthropods’ species

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:39, 13 September 2025
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	! Latin name		! Latin name
	! style=min-width:590px \| Pictures		! style=min-width:590px \| Pictures
	! About the species		! style=min-width:150px \| About the species
	\|-		\|-

Thesoftprotestdigest: /* Modeling technique */

2025-09-01T08:59:26Z

Modeling technique

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:59, 1 September 2025
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	[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santon_(figurine) Santons from Provence] are small, colorful clay figurines that represent the Nativity scene in Christmas cribs (the baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph, with the donkey and ox supposed to warm the child with their breath), the Three Wise Men and the shepherds, as well as a whole series of small figures representing the inhabitants of a Provençal village and their traditional trades.		[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santon_(figurine) Santons from Provence] are small, colorful clay figurines that represent the Nativity scene in Christmas cribs (the baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph, with the donkey and ox supposed to warm the child with their breath), the Three Wise Men and the shepherds, as well as a whole series of small figures representing the inhabitants of a Provençal village and their traditional trades.

	The technique I used to make the insect santons is close to the same as that used for traditional Santons<ref>Santon makers go through seven stages to make a santon. First, they make a model out of raw clay placed on a base that will form part of the figure. Next, they make a plaster mold. The molding is done by pressing a coil of fresh clay into one half of the mold, which has been dusted with talcum powder. After pressing both sides by hand, the excess is trimmed away and the santon is removed from the mold and left to dry. The final manual operation consists of more precise trimming to remove all traces of the mold. The santon is then left to dry again before being fired in a kiln at 800°C. The final step is decoration, which is always done by hand.</ref>, but there are no molds ~~and no~~ firing: for now they are unique pieces that are sculpted and painted by hand.		The technique I used to make the insect santons is close to the same as that used for traditional Santons<ref>Santon makers go through seven stages to make a santon. First, they make a model out of raw clay placed on a base that will form part of the figure. Next, they make a plaster mold. The molding is done by pressing a coil of fresh clay into one half of the mold, which has been dusted with talcum powder. After pressing both sides by hand, the excess is trimmed away and the santon is removed from the mold and left to dry. The final manual operation consists of more precise trimming to remove all traces of the mold. The santon is then left to dry again before being fired in a kiln at 800°C. The final step is decoration, which is always done by hand.</ref>, but there are no molds nor firing: for now they are unique pieces that are sculpted and painted by hand.

	In the purpose of a small-scale mass production to use those figurines as a pedagogical tool for entomology initiation, I am now experimenting on molding: plaster molds are not flexible enough for the level of details of arthropods’ anatomy, thus I am working on latex molds to make plaster copies that would be light, robust and convenient to paint by hand.		In the purpose of a small-scale mass production to use those figurines as a pedagogical tool for entomology initiation, I am now experimenting on molding: plaster molds are not flexible enough for the level of details of arthropods’ anatomy, thus I am working on latex molds to make plaster copies that would be light, robust and convenient to paint by hand.

Thesoftprotestdigest: /* Modeling technique */

2025-09-01T08:59:16Z

Modeling technique

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:59, 1 September 2025
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	[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santon_(figurine) Santons from Provence] are small, colorful clay figurines that represent the Nativity scene in Christmas cribs (the baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph, with the donkey and ox supposed to warm the child with their breath), the Three Wise Men and the shepherds, as well as a whole series of small figures representing the inhabitants of a Provençal village and their traditional trades.		[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santon_(figurine) Santons from Provence] are small, colorful clay figurines that represent the Nativity scene in Christmas cribs (the baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph, with the donkey and ox supposed to warm the child with their breath), the Three Wise Men and the shepherds, as well as a whole series of small figures representing the inhabitants of a Provençal village and their traditional trades.

	The technique I used to make the insect santons is close to the same as that used for traditional Santons<ref>Santon makers go through seven stages to make a santon. First, they make a model out of raw clay placed on a base that will form part of the figure. Next, they make a plaster mold. The molding is done by pressing a coil of fresh clay into one half of the mold, which has been dusted with talcum powder. After pressing both sides by hand, the excess is trimmed away and the santon is removed from the mold and left to dry. The final manual operation consists of more precise trimming to remove all traces of the mold. The santon is then left to dry again before being fired in a kiln at 800°C. The final step is decoration, which is always done by hand.</ref>, as there are no molds and no firing: they are unique pieces that are sculpted and painted by hand.		The technique I used to make the insect santons is close to the same as that used for traditional Santons<ref>Santon makers go through seven stages to make a santon. First, they make a model out of raw clay placed on a base that will form part of the figure. Next, they make a plaster mold. The molding is done by pressing a coil of fresh clay into one half of the mold, which has been dusted with talcum powder. After pressing both sides by hand, the excess is trimmed away and the santon is removed from the mold and left to dry. The final manual operation consists of more precise trimming to remove all traces of the mold. The santon is then left to dry again before being fired in a kiln at 800°C. The final step is decoration, which is always done by hand.</ref>, but there are no molds and no firing: for now they are unique pieces that are sculpted and painted by hand.

	In the purpose of a small-scale mass production to use those figurines as a pedagogical tool for entomology initiation, I am now experimenting on molding: plaster molds are not flexible enough for the level of details of arthropods’ anatomy, thus I am working on latex molds to make plaster copies that would be light, robust and convenient to paint by hand.		In the purpose of a small-scale mass production to use those figurines as a pedagogical tool for entomology initiation, I am now experimenting on molding: plaster molds are not flexible enough for the level of details of arthropods’ anatomy, thus I am working on latex molds to make plaster copies that would be light, robust and convenient to paint by hand.

Thesoftprotestdigest: /* Modeling technique */

2025-09-01T08:58:48Z

Modeling technique

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:58, 1 September 2025
Line 88:		Line 88:
	[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santon_(figurine) Santons from Provence] are small, colorful clay figurines that represent the Nativity scene in Christmas cribs (the baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph, with the donkey and ox supposed to warm the child with their breath), the Three Wise Men and the shepherds, as well as a whole series of small figures representing the inhabitants of a Provençal village and their traditional trades.		[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santon_(figurine) Santons from Provence] are small, colorful clay figurines that represent the Nativity scene in Christmas cribs (the baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph, with the donkey and ox supposed to warm the child with their breath), the Three Wise Men and the shepherds, as well as a whole series of small figures representing the inhabitants of a Provençal village and their traditional trades.

	The technique I used to make the insect santons is close to the same as that used for ~~Provençal~~ Santons<ref>Santon makers go through seven stages to make a santon. First, they make a model out of raw clay placed on a base that will form part of the figure. Next, they make a plaster mold. The molding is done by pressing a coil of fresh clay into one half of the mold, which has been dusted with talcum powder. After pressing both sides by hand, the excess is trimmed away and the santon is removed from the mold and left to dry. The final manual operation consists of more precise trimming to remove all traces of the mold. The santon is then left to dry again before being fired in a kiln at 800°C. The final step is decoration, which is always done by hand.</ref>, as there are no molds and no firing: they are unique pieces that are sculpted and painted by hand.		The technique I used to make the insect santons is close to the same as that used for traditional Santons<ref>Santon makers go through seven stages to make a santon. First, they make a model out of raw clay placed on a base that will form part of the figure. Next, they make a plaster mold. The molding is done by pressing a coil of fresh clay into one half of the mold, which has been dusted with talcum powder. After pressing both sides by hand, the excess is trimmed away and the santon is removed from the mold and left to dry. The final manual operation consists of more precise trimming to remove all traces of the mold. The santon is then left to dry again before being fired in a kiln at 800°C. The final step is decoration, which is always done by hand.</ref>, as there are no molds and no firing: they are unique pieces that are sculpted and painted by hand.

	In the purpose of a small-scale mass production to use those figurines as a pedagogical tool for entomology initiation, I am now experimenting on molding: plaster molds are not flexible enough for the level of details of arthropods’ anatomy, thus I am working on latex molds to make plaster copies that would be light, robust and convenient to paint by hand.		In the purpose of a small-scale mass production to use those figurines as a pedagogical tool for entomology initiation, I am now experimenting on molding: plaster molds are not flexible enough for the level of details of arthropods’ anatomy, thus I am working on latex molds to make plaster copies that would be light, robust and convenient to paint by hand.

Thesoftprotestdigest: /* Modeling technique */

2025-09-01T08:58:32Z

Modeling technique

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:58, 1 September 2025
Line 88:		Line 88:
	[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santon_(figurine) Santons from Provence] are small, colorful clay figurines that represent the Nativity scene in Christmas cribs (the baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph, with the donkey and ox supposed to warm the child with their breath), the Three Wise Men and the shepherds, as well as a whole series of small figures representing the inhabitants of a Provençal village and their traditional trades.		[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santon_(figurine) Santons from Provence] are small, colorful clay figurines that represent the Nativity scene in Christmas cribs (the baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph, with the donkey and ox supposed to warm the child with their breath), the Three Wise Men and the shepherds, as well as a whole series of small figures representing the inhabitants of a Provençal village and their traditional trades.

	The technique used to make ~~these~~ insect ~~figurines~~ is close to the same as that used for Provençal Santons<ref>Santon makers go through seven stages to make a santon. First, they make a model out of raw clay placed on a base that will form part of the figure. Next, they make a plaster mold. The molding is done by pressing a coil of fresh clay into one half of the mold, which has been dusted with talcum powder. After pressing both sides by hand, the excess is trimmed away and the santon is removed from the mold and left to dry. The final manual operation consists of more precise trimming to remove all traces of the mold. The santon is then left to dry again before being fired in a kiln at 800°C. The final step is decoration, which is always done by hand.</ref>, as there are no molds and no firing: they are unique pieces that are sculpted and painted by hand.		The technique I used to make the insect santons is close to the same as that used for Provençal Santons<ref>Santon makers go through seven stages to make a santon. First, they make a model out of raw clay placed on a base that will form part of the figure. Next, they make a plaster mold. The molding is done by pressing a coil of fresh clay into one half of the mold, which has been dusted with talcum powder. After pressing both sides by hand, the excess is trimmed away and the santon is removed from the mold and left to dry. The final manual operation consists of more precise trimming to remove all traces of the mold. The santon is then left to dry again before being fired in a kiln at 800°C. The final step is decoration, which is always done by hand.</ref>, as there are no molds and no firing: they are unique pieces that are sculpted and painted by hand.

	In the purpose of a small-scale mass production to use those figurines as a pedagogical tool for entomology initiation, I am now experimenting on molding: plaster molds are not flexible enough for the level of details of arthropods’ anatomy, thus I am working on latex molds to make plaster copies that would be light, robust and convenient to paint by hand.		In the purpose of a small-scale mass production to use those figurines as a pedagogical tool for entomology initiation, I am now experimenting on molding: plaster molds are not flexible enough for the level of details of arthropods’ anatomy, thus I am working on latex molds to make plaster copies that would be light, robust and convenient to paint by hand.

Thesoftprotestdigest at 08:57, 1 September 2025

2025-09-01T08:57:40Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:57, 1 September 2025
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	<i>Ongoing project written at first person as Robin Bantigny.</i>		<i>Ongoing project written at first person as Robin Bantigny.</i>

	After moving to Provence, in Marseille, the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santon_(figurine) Santons from Provence] quickly caught my attention with the Santons market in the ~~Old Port~~, which takes place in december. Well before Christmas 2022, my partner and I began building a secular nativity scene combining santons made by santonniers and santons made by me. The later represented wild animals (unlike the traditional domestic animals) and characters looking like my partner and I in a fantasy world. I quickly got caught up in this art form and added my mother and her dog, my brother, my father-in-law, my brother-in-law, my best friend, a couple of friends, my sister and her family, my cousin, etc. to the nativity scene.		After moving to Provence, in Marseille, the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santon_(figurine) Santons from Provence] quickly caught my attention with the Santons market in the Vieux port, which takes place in december. Well before Christmas 2022, my partner and I began building a secular nativity scene combining santons made by santonniers and santons made by me. The later represented wild animals (unlike the traditional domestic animals) and characters looking like my partner and I in a fantasy world. I quickly got caught up in this art form and added my mother and her dog, my brother, my father-in-law, my brother-in-law, my best friend, a couple of friends, my sister and her family, my cousin, etc. to the nativity scene.

	All these vernacular representations of loved ones served as gifts, and I hope to create an emotional connection to these “cute” figurines in their recipients. I would even be tempted to give them a magical dimension: they are closer to talismans and amulets <ref>Their paper packaging was also carefully designed, like the cases for amulets and other charms.</ref> than framed photographic portraits.		All these vernacular representations of loved ones served as gifts, and I hope to create an emotional connection to these “cute” figurines in their recipients. I would even be tempted to give them a magical dimension: they are closer to talismans and amulets <ref>Their paper packaging was also carefully designed, like the cases for amulets and other charms.</ref> than framed photographic portraits.

Thesoftprotestdigest at 08:56, 1 September 2025

2025-09-01T08:56:30Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:56, 1 September 2025
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	[[File:santons-divers-3.jpg\|~~thumbs~~\|Upper part of the santon <i>Graphosoma italicum</i>, before being assembled with its legs.]]		[[File:santons-divers-3.jpg\|thumb\|Upper part of the santon <i>Graphosoma italicum</i>, before being assembled with its legs.]]
	<i>Ongoing project written at first person as Robin Bantigny.</i>		<i>Ongoing project written at first person as Robin Bantigny.</i>

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	\|-		\|-
	! Empuse commune		! Empuse commune
	\| Conehead mantis \|\| [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empusa_pennataEmpusa pennata] \|\| [[File:empusa-pennata_3wiki.jpg\|398px]]]		\| Conehead mantis \|\| [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empusa_pennataEmpusa pennata] \|\| [[File:empusa-pennata_3wiki.jpg\|398px]]
	\|\| Contrary to praying mantis, females do not devour the male while reproducing.		\|\| Contrary to praying mantis, females do not devour the male while reproducing.
	\|-		\|-

Thesoftprotestdigest: /* Modeling technique */

2025-09-01T08:55:44Z

Modeling technique

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:55, 1 September 2025
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	== Modeling technique ==		== Modeling technique ==
	[[File:creche-provencale.jpg\|thumb\|Typical nativity scene depicted with Santons from Provence.]]		[[File:creche-provencale.jpg\|thumb\|Typical nativity scene depicted with Santons from Provence.]]
			[[File:santons_process-5.jpg\|thumb\|Fabrication of the molds for stincky bug species.]]

	[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santon_(figurine) Santons from Provence] are small, colorful clay figurines that represent the Nativity scene in Christmas cribs (the baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph, with the donkey and ox supposed to warm the child with their breath), the Three Wise Men and the shepherds, as well as a whole series of small figures representing the inhabitants of a Provençal village and their traditional trades.		[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santon_(figurine) Santons from Provence] are small, colorful clay figurines that represent the Nativity scene in Christmas cribs (the baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph, with the donkey and ox supposed to warm the child with their breath), the Three Wise Men and the shepherds, as well as a whole series of small figures representing the inhabitants of a Provençal village and their traditional trades.
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	In the purpose of a small-scale mass production to use those figurines as a pedagogical tool for entomology initiation, I am now experimenting on molding: plaster molds are not flexible enough for the level of details of arthropods’ anatomy, thus I am working on latex molds to make plaster copies that would be light, robust and convenient to paint by hand.		In the purpose of a small-scale mass production to use those figurines as a pedagogical tool for entomology initiation, I am now experimenting on molding: plaster molds are not flexible enough for the level of details of arthropods’ anatomy, thus I am working on latex molds to make plaster copies that would be light, robust and convenient to paint by hand.

			=== Pictures of the modeling techniques ===
			<gallery mode="traditional">
			File:santons_process-1.jpg\|
			File:santons_process-2.jpg\|
			File:santons_process-3.jpg\|
			File:santons_process-4.jpg\|
			</gallery>

	== Sources ==		== Sources ==

Thesoftprotestdigest at 08:51, 1 September 2025

2025-09-01T08:51:36Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:51, 1 September 2025
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	[File:santons-divers-3.jpg\|thumbs\|Upper part of the santon <i>Graphosoma italicum</i>, before being assembled with its legs.]		[[File:santons-divers-3.jpg\|thumbs\|Upper part of the santon <i>Graphosoma italicum</i>, before being assembled with its legs.]]
	<i>Ongoing project written at first person as Robin Bantigny.</i>		<i>Ongoing project written at first person as Robin Bantigny.</i>

Thesoftprotestdigest at 08:45, 1 September 2025

2025-09-01T08:45:41Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:45, 1 September 2025
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	[File:.jpg\|thumbs\|]		[File:santons-divers-3.jpg\|thumbs\|Upper part of the santon <i>Graphosoma italicum</i>, before being assembled with its legs.]
	<i>Ongoing project written at first person as Robin Bantigny.</i>		<i>Ongoing project written at first person as Robin Bantigny.</i>

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	=== Related images ===		=== Related images ===
	<gallery mode="traditional">		<gallery mode="traditional">
			File:santons-creche.jpg\|
	File:santons-divers-1.jpg\|		File:santons-divers-1.jpg\|
	File:santons-famille.jpg\|		File:santons-famille.jpg\|