Page 23 - Plasticos-magazine-7

simple layers to the complex, with each studio session building upon the previous. The
detailing of the features only being constructed once the foundation layers are correct.

I describe this method like building a house. The foundation doesn’t look like the house,
but it enables the next layer (the walls) to be built securely in place. The walls enable the
placement of the roof etc. Each has a specific function and order. For example, the eyes
are not built until both orbits are symmetrical and give the space to contain an eyeball.

Every addition of clay has a very specific placement and function. No clay is added or
changed without clarity of reason. In 3-days the surgeon has made a complete head. It
is estimated that over 5,000 accurate observations need to be made during this time.

The results speak for themselves. The surgeons are better able to understand shapes
and forms and with confidence translate this into their surgical practice. Each delegate
undertakes a short 5 minute test before and after the course to determine their degree
of improvement. Simon Withey is aiming to clinically prove the results and bid for this

type of education to be standard in all plastic surgery education.

Sculpture is not the only element of the course. Sessions in the studio are interspersed
with lectures and demonstrations from people who straddle art and surgery. David

Gault, an ear reconstruction surgeon from London, gave a lecture about his approach
to constructing an autologous ear. A prosthetist from Addenbrooke’s Hospital gave a
demonstration of his techniques for making prosthetic facial features, and Francis Wells,
a cardiac surgeon at Papworth, gave a lecture on the anatomy of Leonardo Da Vinci.

Jessica Farmer states “Some moments can be incredibly frustrating as you realise that
your observation has not been as accurate as you would hope, and it takes a long time
before you start feeling comfortable with translating what you see into your model.

However, in general the sculpting is rewarding, especially as you begin to see a face
emerge from the clay. One of the most wonderful things is that the process is totally
absorbing. It is not often that you can switch off from everyday life and learn an entirely
new skill”(4).

23 VOL 7, 2021