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De-molding the Bronze ... the Reveal !

6/22/2016

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Breaking the fish mold
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Broken out
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Beadblasted
    Finally back to the fish and curly bark project I
wrote about in my blog entry for 4/22.​ After the 2 molds were poured and the castings broken out, I began the process of cleaning the investment off the bronze. Much of the investment material will drop off if you pound the pour cup with a heavy hammer or mallet, due to the vibrations. You can also use a piece of wood with an angled end and a brass wire brush to remove more stubborn areas. The final thin coating of material was cleaned off in the 
bead blaster (tiny glass beads are used instead of sand, so that the character of the metal surface texture is not destroyed). 
    The next step was to cut off the pour cup and all of the metal gating. I used a angle grinder with a cutoff blade for the thicker pieces of gating, and then a dremel tool for the smaller ones. (I left both side posts on the fish. I would remove one after deciding where each fish would be positioned on the various bark strips.) Once all of the elements were separated, I chased each piece, removing any surface irregularities, and re-texturing surfaces where gating had been removed. Because the fish had had gates attached to the tip end of their faces,  chasing process also 
involved re-making the mouths of the fish with a dremel cutting wheel.
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Breaking out strips
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Out & beadblasted
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Gates removed
     Chasing completed, I next had to determine how the fish were to be positioned on the strips.​ I cut 2 rows of evenly spaced holes in a 4"x24" piece of plywood, so that I could set up the bronze strips and determine how and where I wanted to place the individual fish. I knew I wanted them at different heights and angles, and on different sides of the strips. As I made my decisions, I marked  where I would drill the fish post holes. After drilling the holes, I cut off the unneeded posts and re-surfaced to removal sites on the sides of the fish. Holes drilled, posts removed, I was able to set up the fish and get a feeling of how the finished piece would come together. (I made 8 fish and 8 strips, but decided that 7 and 7 worked better compositionally.) Now it's back to the foundry at MECA to get the fish welded in place and think about patinas and bases.                                             Stay tuned! 
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Gates removed, fish chased
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Balanced in place
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Reverse view
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Saltwater Artists Gallery ... on Pemaquid Point

6/3/2016

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    It's almost summer in Maine and the Saltwater Artists Gallery, located on Pemaquid Point, has opened for the season. This is a new gallery for me, and I've spent the last couple of weeks helping to get the space ready, setting up my work, and getting to know some of the other artists. The gallery is maintained and operated by the membership, and tomorrow I have my first day training session. The intricacies of the operation of the new credit card reader loom large! (Talk about teaching an old dog new tricks - fingers crossed!)
    The gallery has a long history in the area. It started out as the Waldoboro Gallery Association in 1967, was renamed the Medomak River Gallery in 1996, and 
finally became Saltwater Artists Gallery after it moved into its current location on Pemaquid Point in 1998. The membership is made up of 25 jury selected artists presenting artwork in a wide variety of media - watercolors, pastels, sculpture, oils, acrylics, photography, graphite, ink, pottery, wood turning, glass and jewelry. The gallery opened for weekends on Memorial Day, and will be open 7 days a week from 10-5 starting June 16th until Columbus Day. If you are in the area, stop by and see us!

         Find out more at www.saltwaterartists.com
​                             and on Facebook.
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                                                                                   * * * * * * * * 
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​​While you're in the area you might also enjoy visiting Pemaquid Point Lighthouse 
  and  Fort William Henry.


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    Author

    Cynthia Smith, Maine artist, originally from Connecticut. Taught art at secondary level for 35 years, retired in 2004. Sculpts in bronze, wood, stone, clay & plaster. Her work can be seen at several mid-coast Maine galleries and shows.

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