ABSTRACT
For a production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, I needed to coat a practical water fountain sculpture that was manufactured in our shop with a substance that would waterproof the porous plaster and foam sculpture, add some rigidity to the draped fabric parts, and be both thick enough to fill in gaps but thin enough not to cover some of the finer detail. My first inclination was to use auto body compound available at any discount department store or auto supply shop. The putty by itself was too viscous to be applied to the sculpture and keep the detail clear. Fiberglas® resin by itself was too thin, and ran and dripped off the form. However, by mixing the body compound with Fiberglas® resin made by the same manufacturer, I was able to liquefy the putty enough so that it could be painted on the sculpture with a stiff-bristled, disposable brush. The foam parts also had to be covered with plaster bandage in order to keep from cavitating under the polyester mixture.
