Meanderings of a Maine Artist... sculptor Cynthia Smith

Bronze Patinas ... TextureTreatments

1/27/2013

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'After Dark' ...detail

'Relief' ...detail

'Self Portrait' ...detail

'Femme Verte' ...detail

My blog entry from January 19th dealt with creating patina test strips. These strips can be particularly helpful when trying to choose a patina application for a bronze sculpture that has a variety of textured surfaces. Sometimes a patina that works on one piece can need some tweaking to be used successfully on something else that has a different surface quality. For instance, I used ferric nitrate to patina the large frog in 'After Dark' and sealed it with hot Butcher's wax. It worked very well on textured portions as well as on the smooth underbelly of the frog. I also used ferric nitrate on my bronze 'Relief' but wanted to achieve a patina that had more depth and variety. I lightly steel wooled the surfaces, then I heated the surface and applied a solution of ammonia, vinegar and salt over the layer of ferric nitrate. I lightly steel wooled it again, allowing the green tones to remain in the recessed areas and, having achieved the desired patina, sealed it with Butcher's wax.
Cupric nitrate is another chemical that I have used and manipulated with success on textured surfaces. I applied it with heat to my bronze 'Self Portrait', then steel wooled the raised surfaces leaving the green color in the recesses. This toned down the yellowness of the bronze surfaces while adding an effective weathered verdigris color in and around the areas of hair. I also used cupric nitrate on 'Femme Verte', but I added an application of a heated solution of ammonia, vinegar and salt to tone down the green. This not only resulted in very effective coloring on the surface of the figure, but it also strengthened the visual impact of the texture of the base. The solution had pooled in the nooks and crannies and created a soft blue-green verdigris. After the piece was sealed with heated Butcher's wax the colors darkened slightly, producing a patina that exceeded my expectations.

'After Dark'

'Relief'

'Self Portrait'

'Femme Verte'

*Additional images of these sculptures can be viewed in the Bronze and slideshow sections of this site.

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Patinas ... Application & Variations on Bronze

1/19/2013

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Plaster mold for creating wax test strips

Gated wax strips to be put in mold and poured in bronze

My earliest experiences with applying patinas to bronze involved using materials like cupric nitrate, ferric nitrate, and liver of sulphur, that were relatively hazardous to breathe or touch. As time went on, I was introduced to some more user friendly options and some creative variations. I decided it would be advantageous to create a supply of bronze test strips that I could use to try out potential patina choices, so I made some textured clay strips that I then used to make a plaster mold for casting waxes. After pouring a couple of dozen of these in bronze, I was ready to experiment.
The test strips allow me to view and document the effect of variations of application - hot or cold , number of coats, exposure time, brushed on or fumed, flat surface or textured. When using a manufactured product like Birchwood Casey's Antique Black or Brown patina that can be applied either cold or hot, it's handy to be able to compare test set times and colors of both options before actually applying patina to your final piece. (*Note: smaller containers of BC patinas are available through Sculpt Nouveau.) When I tested the hot application of a variety of oils, I found that I could get much darker colors with Seseme oil that peanut oil. (Olive oil and linseed oil can also be used.) I also found that motor oil should be tested outdoors if you do not have a well ventilated studio (duh!). Another application that can be somewhat problematic (but not toxic) in terms of smell, is urine on heated bronze. I understand that urine can also be used to fume on a patina by mixing with sawdust or wood chips in an airtight container with your bronze. In either case, I would recommend sealing with clear satin spray lacquer.
Fuming is another technique that benefits from testing. The amount of time your piece is exposed to fumes definitely influences the shade and intensity of the patina. Ammonia will give you varying degrees of blue and ammonia mixed with vinegar (and a bit of salt) will produce greens - depending on the proportions mixed. Another way to achieve a green patina is to apply a 50/50 solution of Miracle-Gro with water to a heated sculpture. These patinas tend to be somewhat unstable and should be sealed with clear satin lacquer. Sealing will alter the color somewhat - yet another good reason for utilizing test strips!

1) no patina

2) B C Antique Black

3) Urine

4) Peanut Oil

5) B C Antique Brown

6) Sesame Oil

7) Ammonia - fumed

8) Used motor Oil

9) Ammonia /Vinegar - fumed

10) B C Antique Brown + Black

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On a Bender ... Bronze Hangovers

1/3/2013

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Breach ... 15" h

Pole Bender ...19" h

Often times when I am brainstorming concepts for a project, I come up with several variations of my initial idea or approach. The sheer strength of bronze often temps me to create pieces that either appear to defy gravity or give the illusion that there is flexibility where there is none. Such was the case when I played with the idea of a tapered slat being bent by the weight of a human figure. 'Breach', the first of four variations on the bent slat theme, features two figures reaching out toward each other, each atop the end of an opposing bent slat attached to a device that appears to have the capability to bring the figures closer together (or to separate them?). The second piece, 'Pole Bender', has a figure desperately clinging to the end of a bending slat (that seems to be lifting out of its wooden base?). In '12Balls', the figure is juggling balls while balancing on his belly on the very end of the bent slat (do the ten balls on the ground indicate success or failure?). And in the final piece, 'Quandary', the figure dangles precariously at the end of the slat while seemingly trying to make a choice between 2 bags of unknown contents (what is in them and what will happen if he drops another bag?). This, as with the other sculptures, invites the viewer into a story in progress... what brought to the figures to their present situations and what will happen next? The answers will hopefully be as varied as the viewers.

12Balls ... 18" h

Quandary ...18 1/2" h

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Bronze Patinas ... TextureTreatments

Patinas ... Application & Variations on Bronze

On a Bender ... Bronze Hangovers

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