This semester in my Mixed Media Sculpture class with prof Stephen Colley, we were discussing our next project and ideas. One idea we were discussing was old door knobs/handles and how they used to be more interesting and unique with hand crafted details. After this discussion we decided that we were going to make some door knobs and handles that we could potentially pour in bronze.
In order to be poured in bronze, the pieces had to first be made out of wax. This is because a mold has to be made around the piece that will be sandblasted to chip off the excess bronze. When the bronze is poured it will melt the wax into nothing and take the shape the wax was in.
For my pieces I decided on 3 different things: an octopus tentacle, a pair of Irish infinity knots, and a pair of mermaids that will be placed next to each other in a way that makes it look like they’re swimming in a circle. However, I hate working in wax. I find that it cools and hardens way too quickly for me, so I made my pieces out of clay first, and then made a mold of them so that I could pour wax into it. I made a total of 3 molds; 1 for the tentacle, 1 for the mermaids, and 1 for the Irish infinity knots.
Like all the other molds I’ve made so far, I made these molds out of plaster. After making the molds I removed all the clay and then carved the mold so that there were fewer undercuts and it would be easier to get the wax out of the molds. Once they were ready, I wet the molds and poured the wax into them. The wax dries quite quickly so I was able to pop them out in the same day.
After getting the wax out, my work needed quite a bit of cleaning up so I used a heat gun and some ceramic tools to shape and smooth them. Once that was done I painted them to look like metal. First I painted them in black and let it fully dry. Then I used a sparkly brown paint that I dry-brushed on and scrubbed it with a paper towel. Then once that dried, I dry brushed a gold paint on and scrubbed it with a paper towel. This process simulates the dull reflective surface of metal.
ART EXPO 2024 Sculpture Class Show – Opening Reception Nov 7 2024 @ 5pm
All of my pieces shown below will be displayed in the ART EXPO 2024 sculpture class exhibition in the Kresge Gallery this November 2024. The show’s Opening Reception will be held on November 7, 2024 at 5:00pm, in the Kresge Gallery, Insalaco Center for Studio Arts, at Marywood University. This event is free and open to the public. All are welcome.
