Plasticine was invented in England over one hundred years ago, by art teacher William Harbutt. He had been searching for an easy to use modeling material for his students and the final product was the result of many experiments. Not only did the adult artists fall in love with "the clay that never dries out", so did William's six children. They filled the house with plasticine castles, model boats,battle scenes and fountains.

William first thought of his invention as a teaching aid, but when he saw the delight it brought his family he decided to package it for commercial sale, so other children could enjoy it. The whole family helped come up with the name Plasticine.

Since then, millions of pounds of Plasticine have been shaped by artists, architects, engineers and children into everything from military maps in both World Wars to models for the first space suit, from aircraft design to dental models and of course, dinosaurs.

Now there are many different types of clay available. Some are water based and will dry out if left uncovered. Others are meant to be baked into a permanent shape. The artwork on this web site is made with a plasticine type of modeling clay that is oil based, squishable, and never gets hard. Plasticine, Plastolina, Klean Klay and Plasticolor are just a few of the brands you may find at your local art and craft or toy store.

An early pamphlet for Harbutt's Plasticine declared "There are 101 uses for Plasticine". Albert Blanchard, chief British military modeler in World War I, valued most of all the amusement and education that plasticine brought to children. He said: "You can teach art and geography with it. You can demonstrate carpentry and plumbing. You can roll it, cut it, mold and shape it, and then crush up what you have made and start all over again. No wonder it fascinates people so much that after playing with it as children, they keep the habit for the rest of their lives." I couldn't agree more!