Gargoyle art project

[pocbase]

Ok, not sure if this is the right place or if it should be in the sculpture forum, but anyway here it goes.

I am going to try and cut to the chase without rambling on about too many details. In short, I am South African living in Cape Town. I BASE jump and for a while now I have had somewhat of a fascination for gargoyles. The theory I like is the one that implies they would fight demons attempting to penetrate the building they would be guarding; Although chances are the theory is not correct, it's the one I like most and chose to adopt...

I have been making 1/10 scale figures and plan on making a 1/1 at some stage and place it on the mountain near the place we usually use for jumping (1st pic). Some figures were made in traditional clay and others were terra cotta air drying. I am trying to get hold of some sculpey at the moment.

First I am looking for advice on materials to use in order to build the life size sculpture. I will be welding a steel skeleton but for the body I would like to use something durable that would not look too tacky. Another problem will be the weight since we will have to haul the sculpture up the mountain...

Second, you may burn at will but I am mainly looking to get constructive criticism regarding the figures I have been making.

Thanks

poc

[alesoun]

Gargoyles were also used as waterspouts, to allow rain to run off church buildings; that's why their mouths are usually open (well, that and the repel intruders thing) Will rain be an issue or pose a threat to your sculptures in any way? I'm wondering about rain or wind erosion at that height....

[pocbase]

Rain, wind and other elements will definitely be a factor. I am thinking some sort of cementitious product but not too sure what to use for this type of structure. The detail is important. Whether a gargoyle was at eye level or 70 metres above the ground, they all had the same attention to detail (for the time). I believe that if the free macons had the means to do more detail, they would have. I am not so worried about the functionality of it (from which the name comes) but am more concerned with the spiritual aspect of it if we can call it that...