This
year I have decided to work on some small sculptures that I can also
make the molds on and cast myself. These would be some of my "pinch
models", which are quick 9" sculptures that I make and from these I
make my larger pieces. The pinch models help me figure out the
emotion and body position of the piece and also the wire and pipe
structure I need to support the clay and the piece.
By
nature these models are rough and very "chunky" and lack the final
refinements and details of the finished piece. But I am fond of them
because they are so explosive. In the past, I usually destroy the pinch
models when I have completed the larger piece. No more.
I
have made the first three male figures out of a series of maybe 6-10
figures, and my goal was to cast them myself in a marble like stone,
with a small edition of 6 of each.
You know what they say about the best laid plans. Well, they are right.
I never have made my own mold and so hve never cast anything. I have made wax pieces from of my existing molds, but that's it.
First
step is to make the rubber mold around the original clay piece. Piece
of cake, I know what they are to look like and I use Smooth On Rebound
25 as suggested. I start by painting the rubber on, wait 90 mins, paint
on another layer, wait 90 mins. then trowel on the next three layers
(with the 90 min wait between, a long day). And I decided to make
all three molds at once ... save some time.
Problem was, in the Youtube videos from Smooth On, they did not show me
how to make the flanges wide enough and tight enough to hold the
casting I poured. So after I made the outside Plasti-Paste mold around
the rubber mold (another 1/2 day), I extracted the molds from the
original and poured my first casting in silicon, just to make sure the
molds held the detail. With the silicon they were perfect.
When
I poured the final stone solution, the molds leaked like a sieve. And
the powders I used did not look like marble, but bad plaster.
Time
to regroup and rethink this. I went back on Youtube and did some
searching and found a couple of ladies in England that was using the
same mold making products I am and they made a video showing how they
did it. They used playing cards to make their flanges and legos to make
their register pins.
So,
I started over, on one this time, I think I am getting smarter.
And it worked. But instaed of a stone, what am I going to make the
final cast out of? How about a cold cast bronze, or bonded bronze which
will allow me to add patinas like my cast bronze pieces.
I
redid all of my molds and cast everything using Easy Flow Clear with
bronze powder mixed in. Then I researched how to get a good patina on
the pieces, and I found patina waxes. I did not want to work with
chemicals like cupric nitra and liver of sulfer, and the waxes worked
great. Instead of leaving the chemicals on for a few minutes, the waxes
you leave on for at least an hour then rub off what you don't want.
Over the bronze casting I rubbed on a black wax then a green wax over
that. They look great.
"Inquisitive" "Loosening Up" "Success"
I have started several paintings of the trip since Jan. of this year, but have not finished any. I got involved in a monumental project instead and that has been taking up most of my time this year.
Also, I have just finished the first figure, the Continental Soldier in a small clay
maquette size 14", and we are thinking about casting these and selling them to help fund the Memorial. I will have to price them out at a foundry to see what the costs will be. This is the first maquette of the CS as I am sure I will massage it until it is just right. Then I will sculpt it life-size in clay, probably make my own molds and send it off to the foundry for casting.
