The front title plate took me three tries to get a good casting, but the bronze title and name plates for the upcoming piece The Ephemeral Knot are finally done. On either side of the plates are castings of human finger bones, specifically that of a fourth proximal phalange. The bronze has been heated in a kiln up to 1100 degrees, which gives it a black patina. This is then rubbed off in areas to get back to bronze. I applied the final coats of protective finish yesterday.
Opening Investment Mold
It was great to be outside in a sunny warm Spring evening opening the mold for the plates for The Ephemeral Knot and All Horizons Lost... But as soon as I started removing the investment, I knew my pieces were in trouble. Maybe the metal was poured too hot, maybe my investment mix wasn't right, but there was an astounding amount of flashing. Some of the castings can be salvaged, but some will have be redone.
Foundry Pour, April 2016
Below are pictures of the last bronze pour at the University of Wisconsin foundry. I poured my investment mold for the title plates of The Ephemeral Knot, and All Horizons Lost, Flesh Forever Found, as well as a few other waxes for future pieces. Observing this time was a group from a local high school.
Sculpture Plates and Miscellaneous Waxes
A sprue tree recently completed. Title and back plates for an upcoming large bronze sculptural piece entitled All Horizons Lost, Flesh Forever Found. Also the remake of The Ephemeral Knot title plate, and some other wax objects for future pieces.
Foundry Pour
I wanted to share more pictures from the last bronze pour at the University of Wisconsin Foundry. Two of the investment molds were my own, the rest belonging to other artists.
Upcoming Illustration Scratch Boards
I recently completed an illustration for a very special upcoming project. The official announcement is yet to be made, but I wanted to share some parts of the piece in progress. Usually my illustrations are done in different mediums and pieced together into a whole image. Below are two pen and ink on scratch board drawings that were later incorporated into a larger composition. Before too long, I will present the illustration in it's entirety along with the news of the collaboration.
Title Plates for The Ephemeral Knot
Opening the Investment Mold for "The Ephemeral Knot".
I was a bit worried about how the arm would turn out because of how much bronze was used. If a metal sculpture is too thick, the cooling process can cause cracks or collapsing. Prior to investment, I thinned out what wax I could from the underside, but much of the sculpture had to be thick for future tapping and bolt placements. But everything formed well, and I'm really pleased with the level of detail.
Foundry Wax and Investment Work for "The Ephemeral Knot".
This will be my largest bronze sculpture as of yet, although there are larger ones to come this year. The brush on rubber mold with plaster mother mold worked beautifully, and I got a usable model on the first wax pour. The mold is going to be poured in bronze soon, and I'll be heading into the foundry this weekend to see how the piece looks.
Main Sculpt for The Ephemeral Knot Completed
The main clay sculpt for the upcoming bronze, The Ephemeral Knot, is finished. The completed piece should invoke the wax anatomical models of Museo di Storia Naturale "La Specola" in Florence, Italy, which I was fortunate enough to tour.
The piece is a not too subtle reminder of childhood mortality. The obviousness is hopefully excused- for with classic form comes classic symbolism.
The next step is to make the mold for the investment wax.
Gratitude goes to Rebekah and Leif Hansen, for allowing me to life cast their daughter Nova's hand and arm. And thank you, Nova.
Gallery Talk at FAM
A heartfelt thank you to all who came out last night to hear me give my talk at the Freeport Art Museum. It really meant a lot and I felt very welcome. There were great questions asked and it was a memorable exchange of ideas and thoughts. Thank you so much.
Cast Glass Placenta and Bell Jar Finished
The bell jar for the upcoming piece, Ossis Fateor Memoria, is finally complete. Many thanks to two Wisconsin glass artists for assisting me in creating what I had envisioned. Steve Feren helped me invest my wax placenta sculpt and did the glass casting. Richard Jones of Studio Paran completed the cold work on the glass placenta and helped me attach it to the bell jar. I thank them both for their time and patience working with me.
Welcome to the Studio Blog, Version 2
With a new web design comes a new studio blog. I hope you got a chance to enjoy my past posts from the previous website. Version 2 will start anew and sorry to those who missed the first round of blogging. Here you will find the progress, usually very slow, on all my different artwork mediums: sculpture, drawing, and illustration and design.