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NICE TOUCH DESIGN PRESENTS
THE SCULPTING PROCESS
FROM A TO Z
by Victoria Varley
A great deal of hard labor goes into producing even one sculpture.
Historically men have been the Sculptors of the art world as the process requires great physical strength even in the earliest stages of development.
Today because of modern technology, hydraulic tools and the help of those endowed with physical strength, women Sculptors can come to the forefront of creativity in this exciting world of art production.
Below are a series of photographs explaining the process
Sculptors follow to produce a finished piece.
Step 1 - The Sketch |
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VICTORIA'S SCULPTING PROCESS FOR BRONZE MURALS OR "BAS RELIEF"
After preparing a rough sketch (above) I transfer the sketch to wood boards. These are then drilled
with screws placed 1" to 2" apart. Clay is added to the wired sketch and I begin carving in the details (below) for my finished pieces. |
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This is the carved stage (above) of the nomad woman with items of added jewelry to check effects, angles and viability. Changes are always best made at this malleable
stage. |
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Once the wax has been poured, the rubber mold is peeled away and the wax copy is checked for imperfections and the necessity for possible repair. This is when the
Sculptor reappears on the scene to examine the finest details, make corrective suggestions, sign and number the pieces and turn them back over to Foundry workers, themselves artists, for completion. |
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When the wax preparation stage is completed, the wax artifact is dipped several times into a clay slurry or "slip" which is then
coated while still wet with silicon sand. The coated wax is now set aside to dry before it is transferred to a kiln for firing, at very high temperatures.
During the firing
the wax will melt away leaving a rock hard mold for the hot bronze pouring stage. |
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After weeks of waiting its turn on a store room shelf, the exciting day finally arrives and the bronze will be poured.
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This is the part I find the most thrilling. At Weston Art Foundry on Airport Road in Santa Fe, New Mexico, only 10 miles from my own studio, a bronze pour is made every day at
precisely 11.45a.m
All morning long the furnace has been cranked up and has achieved incredible heat, roaring ferociously like a volcano about to erupt. At the moment of ultimate melt, the furnace is abruptly shut
down. The silence that follows is remarkable.
Now the foundry men wearing protective clothing and helmets, swing into orchestrated action, in what always looks to me like a beautiful, but masculine ballet, as they
deftly pour the blazing hot bronze into each upturned ceramic mold. I never get tired of attending a performance |
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Dell Weston (below left) who co-owns and runs Weston Foundry with his daughter Linda, guides the dangerously hot pot of molten bronze to the end of the line by
means of an overhead pulley. At the end of the line the pot is set down safely in a bed of sand for cooling. The "slag" or crust is removed at once from the top layer of the hot liquid.
The temperature of the
bronze is taken and the timer set in motion. Within seconds the bronze has cooled to correct temperature for the pour,, and as Dell begins the process (below left.) foundry workers quickly add sand for support,
then stack side by side into sand. The previously fired hollow ceramic molds are now full of liquid bronze, and allowed to cool.
Once cooled the mold is chipped from the hardened bronze. If the pour was not perfect,
repairs that require welding and grinding can then be made (below right.) |
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The repaired piece (right) is then put in an airtight chamber (below) and sandblasted until perfectly polished and devoid of welding "stains" or abrasions. It
is removed with gloves or cloths to prevent hand oil stains from interfering with the patina process.
By this stage the piece has taken on weighty proportions.
For example Wodaabe woman (above) who is only 35"
tall now weighs in the region of 35lbs. |
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Finally (below) the piece is ready to have color added and is transferred to the patina artist at the other end of the Foundry, where dangerous chemicals are
carefully stored and used under extractor fans.With a blow torch in one hand, and a spray bottle of patina acid in the other, chemicals are gradually sprayed on and heated, in a succession of layers until the artist is
satisfied with the outcome. Finally, the piece is heated once again and car polishing wax melted on with a brush. Once cool and dry it is hand rubbed to reveal the polished finish (below.) |
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The same process is used for each and every piece. (above) "Gourds" available in limited edition.
After paying a hefty bill for all this work, I pack
each piece carefully into my truck and deliver it immediately. It goes straight from the Foundry to the Art Gallery in Santa Fe in the hopes of an instant sale. I also arrange the pieces correctly and oversee the
correct position for hanging.
The Art Galleries kindly accept my work on consignment and take their cut when sold.
It can take months for this to happen or with luck pieces sell immediately
but the artist waits 30 days or more to receive a check.
Apart from the nerve wracking job of approaching various art galleries myself hoping they will like and want my work in their establishments, I also print
brochures with information and pricing on each piece which makes it more attractive for galleries to sell my work.
All in all a Sculptor's life is very exhilarating but hard in more ways than one as not only is
sculpture a long and involved process which requires a variety of patience and financial resources, it requires extreme tenacity as everyone along the way from the clay manufacturers to the Foundries and Art Galleries
gets paid first with the artist being the very last in line to receive any money.
The nature of the artist is to keep dreaming up beautiful works of art which may never sell.
The Galleries take the work on
consignment so if it does not sell they merely send it "home" at the end of the season.
The wish for success with artistic endeavor can be quite frustrating as artists have so many wonderful ideas bursting from
their heads and hands they could fill museums around the world, but if financial restraints curtail initial creative exuberance, just think how many magnificent works of art are probably ost because artists can't afford
for them to see the light of day. |
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