C.V.SmithARTWORKS
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Sculptures
    • Bronze
    • Clay / Apoxie Clay
    • Plaster
    • Wood
    • Stone
    • SLIDESHOW
  • Galleries
  • Contact
  • Book
  • River Arts
  • BRAF
  • Saltwater Artists
  • CMCA
  • Yarmouth Art Festival

Moonrunner ... From Clay to Wax to Bronze

2/4/2018

0 Comments

 
    One of my New Year's resolutions was to attempt to catch up on completing several unfinished bronze pieces that were put aside some time ago, and have been gathering dust  ever since. My first "cold case" to be revived in the New Year was a bronze running figure. It had started out as a rough figure made out of Klean Klay, that I then sculpted in wax so that I could cast it in bronze. I had added a slender "moon-like" piece to both support the figure and act as a gate that would facilitate the flow of bronze through the figure during casting. I also made a separate larger disc that would eventually be utilized as part of the base for the piece.
​    As I resumed work on the piece, I first made threaded holes with a tap & die in the base of the bronze sculpture and in the bronze disk, so I could eventually attach them together. The height of the figure combined with the disk was going to be just over 10" tall. I decided increase the height of the piece by adding an additional 3/4" thick wooden disk made out of wenge that would be positioned under the bronze disk. The next step was to grind off any remaining bronze gating "stubs" from the piece. After I chased and re-surfaced those areas, I sealed the bronze with satin spray 
polyurethane. 
​   I thought I was finally ready to assemble the piece, when I remembered that I had a small piece of marble that might just be a perfect addition to the base - and it already had a hole drilled in it! Bingo! After I smoothed the edges and corners of the piece of marble, I sealed it with Saw Sheen. It was ready to be assembled. I  cut
Picture
Translating clay to wax
Picture
Casting - view 1
Picture
Threaded hole with tap & die
Picture
Chased bronze - view 1
Picture
Gating wax for casting mold
Picture
Casting - view 2
Picture
Bronze & wood base sections
Picture
Chased bronze - view 2
a length of threaded rod that could be screwed into the hole in the bottom of the figure and reach through both disks to the back of the piece of marble. I put epoxy in the hole in the bottom of the figure before I screwed the rod into it. (I did this to keep the rod from "backing out" when I tightened the nut at the other end.) The final step was to thread the other base pieces onto the rod and then tighten the nut onto the end of the rod.
                                    First "cold case" of 2018 solved! On to the next!
Picture
Picture
Picture
"Moonrunner" ... sealed & assembled
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    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.

    Picture

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    October 2022
    May 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    January 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.