Now is the time to add the sprues to each piece. A sprue is a downward channel the bronze will follow into the mold. The mold should fill quickly, so that the metal doesn’t cool before the mold fills, and completely, so there is no area in which air is trapped, causing a void in the finished piece. This is a matter is visualizing the flow of metal through the piece as you turn it to discover the optimum position which will accomplish both. Of course, there is some intuition and experience involved too, and every piece must be considered uniquely. In some cases there are vents which give a path for air to leave the mold from areas where it might otherwise be trapped. I naturally tend to overdo this sort of thing, but since these pieces have some thin and narrow sections, I want to be sure that the metal will not “freeze-out” or cool anywhere, so I have placed a sprue into each hand foot and head to get metal into every area. As well, all those sprues can serve as vents too.

I decided to do a third splash because people tend to gender-ize them too much when there are just two.

All three, at a good stage of progress, about three good work sessions apiece,but I’ll need to decide how much more to go on from here in texture and smoothness.

God I love Winter. This is when I get all the best designs done. Here are the ones I’m starting with for this project, titled “Splash”.

The goal is to get these graphics to viable fully modeled 3D sculptures.

So, it’s out to the shop to get some work done. Another unglamorous picture of how sculpture gets made. The sun is shining and that’s nice.

Since these are going to be bronze castings from wax models, I make some wax sheets, use the design as a template to cutout the figure, stack them up like a relief map, and add soft wax to flesh out the forms and emphasize the third dimension. Dip the whole thing in warm water and bend and shape it. Working outside in the barn with the wood stove going is actually very helpful; the cold air keeps the wax firm and holding it’s shape. Moving it nearer to the stove warms up the surface of the wax so you can smooth it, without warming the core so much that it starts moving where you don’t want it to. Take it outside for a few minutes to really get hard. When working with wax in the summertime it is all the time too soft to get decent results. It gets too soft to hold it’s shape right and you end up putting it in the icebox to chill and firm up. Of course you are sitting in the sun in a T shirt and shorts instead of long underwear and Carharts. On the other hand, Winter, you are not tempted to go skateboarding or swimming at the lake.

Second Splash:

Several things are coming together to give me a direction to go in next. I have been interested for some time in Indian Folk Bronzes. These are mostly images of Hindu Gods used on traditional household altars. They are informal, yet have the same value and symbolism as “high” temple art. The difference between these and the others is only of context.

I have been wanting to do work that is more spontaneous. After my last project which was over a year in length, nice as that was, I think I need to loosen up with some quick and smaller things. A little more expressionist, not so engineered and analytical. I’ve some things like this from before, nicely gestural and lively.

I recently met an artist with a personal bronze foundry he built for himself. I proposed to work with him on his pours in exchange for the chance to do some of my own work there. He has generously invited me access to his studio. 

Title is sometimes Henry or Kouros, or Twisty II …  2011, Elm Wood, 22 x 18 inches.

I was finally ready to apply the varnish finish, when I realized I still had some loose ends to deal with. There is always more. Sorry, I know the suspense is killing everyone. That large crack? It has a few larg splinters which I can try to glue down, and many small hairy slivers that should be cleaned up.

I think it was clever to use rock climbing camming devices to apply outward pressure on the splinters to hold them in place while gluing.

I clipped and pulled out most of the fine slivers, and blew out all the sawdust and chips with compressed air.

Since I know nothing about wood finishes, I asked my trusted advisors Sharon Q and Garry V what I should do that would be most of all, easy and safe for rustic like me. First, get and read the book Understanding Wood Finishes by Bob Flexner, Fox Chapel Publishing 2010. I can’t believe I’ve spent my life until now in the dark about the differences between varnish, shellac, and lacquer. Then, understand the pore structure of the type of wood you’re using. Finally, consider again what is within your abilities and experience. Remember also that this is a sculpture, not a piece of furniture.

All that realized, I decided to use Arm-R-Seal Wipe-On Oil Varnish, available at Woodcraft. Garry said he’s had good results with it, and it was easy to control by wiping on, or off, with cloths. I set about carving up a test piece which would have samples of the different grain faces which are to be found in the sculpture.

I tested sanding both before and after he initial coat went on, and also tried up to two and three coats un-sanded, to see the effect. Ultimately I preferred a hard sculpted finish that retains the un-sanded sharp edges of the chisel marks, but not yet shiny or glossy.

The right side was sanded. I don’t like how the edges flatten out and catch the light.

The center is three coats.

The far left side is two coats, not glossy.

The best outcome is probably to use a very heavy first coat, as much as will soak in, followed by two very thinly wiped-on coats. The color is nice. So much warmer than the raw wood. Not dry-looking.

I’ve been holding onto this post for a long time, because of course, no sooner to than you want to declare that you’re done carving then you see some little details that you need to deal with. Finally I had to keep it under cover for about 3 weeks until I forgot exactly what it looked like, then I uncovered it could see it fresh. I was happily with what I saw. It’s a big raw thing, but I’m pleased with the amount of details verses the overall volume of the form. It seems balanced and even, and I’ve settled on it.

What an adventure making this has been. By adventure we think we mean climbing mountains, paddling rivers, or riding a moped to South America, an endeavor whose outcome is unknown, entailing possible risk. But this sculpture has been a journey to the unknown too. If people wonder how I can be so compelled to follow this through to the ending, it is because I do not know where the ending is, and it is a process of pure, joyful discovery. How often can you say that about life? A mountain is a hard thing to climb, but when you stand at the bottom, you are in fact in possession of everything you need to accomplish the task, and all else depends only on your will and enthusiasm. How often are you alone set to a task where you posses all the abilities and resources to accomplish it? “Truth is a pathless land…”, and can only be found by oneself. This sculpture is a journey for me to knowing the Truth, and I find it as fascinating, exciting, dangerous, and fun, and any mountain I’ve climbed or, or adventure I’ve had. If people say, that sculpture is so tedious to do, I say that tedium is made out of doing what you know already or looking for what you can expect to find. Such are most of the efforts of our lives, inevitably.

Anyway, and now, here is the completely carved figure.

One side:

The other side:

Close up:

So next, I’ll want to apply a finish, probably an oil varnish, to protect the wood and mellow the color and texture.