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Let’s go through the Chichi ® sanding process, with Boots the cat!

May 28, 2018

Hei konta! I am Boots, and now it is my time to shine after my brother DJ practically stole my spotlight and told you all about the painters’ visits a couple of weeks ago. The craftswomen at Serena’s Art Factory call mi Blòki Blòki… Why do humans make up such weird names!? I don’t get it. Thanks to Chayen who found my brother and I next to a stable after our mom abandoned us, I am here to tell you all about the sanding process! Judith and Angelique are the two workers who make sure the sculptures are smoothly sanded and ready to be painted.

Now let’s get right into the sanding process. After the plaster is poured into to the silicone molds, and when the plaster is hard, they open the molds and take the Chichi® sculpture out. The Art piece comes out with hard edges and sometimes air bubbles, which can be fixed by filling and sanding the sculptures. People are so precise! Angelique prefers to sand the Chichi® dolls when they are wet, while others prefer to sand them when they’re dry. In Angelique’s opinion, it is easier to remove the edges when the sculptures are wet than when they are dry. Additionally, the edges are sharp enough to cut their hands. Humans do such dangerous activities! Are they crazy or what!?

All the workers in the atelier sand the sculptures with sandpaper and a wet sponge. The most important part of the process is to make sure all the holes are filled before giving the sculptures to the painters. These humans do everything possible to make sure the surface of the Chichi® is smooth and soft. After being four days outside, the Chichi® sculptures are dry due to the warm weather of Curaçao. No worries, the sculptures always survive the heat. Here’s a secret for you… Sometimes the Chichi® artworks fall down and break during the sanding process. Let me tell you, that always scares the miaow out of me after they fly into the waste bin! The good thing is that I always find comfort in boxes I find lying around in Serena’s Art Factory, and of course from the cuddles I get from the craftswomen. Don’t tell DJ I said that, because he will get jealous!

By Jade Mambre