More Fun with Wax

 Lots of waxes made, would have been good to make more but time is a factor.

The next stage is to attach the wax sculptures to wax poles (just a cylindrical length of wax). Sounds easy but far from straight forward.

Hot plate on and tools heating up... The trick is to hold the wax cylinder and the piece close together, insert the heated flat tool between them, slightly squeeze together and slide out the tool.

Oh yes, without burning yourself on the tool, dropping the waxes or dropping burning wax on yourself. (hint: it hurts)

3 attached

attached to the bowl

Next, a thicker cylinder is attached to the bowl/bucket and the smaller ones attaached to that. They are upside down at the moment.

Making waxes for the Lost Wax Process

 .... Moulds ready, wax heating up and instructions being given.

Ok!

Here we go....

 The first waxes drying.  Before releasing the moulds they are soaked with cold water (running tap) slowly running over them. This is to make sure the wax has completely solidified as sometimes it is too soft and can be deformed or damaged.

The extra wax is then cut off with a scalpel and snoothed with turps on a scrubby.

Fixing to do

 

Waxes after fixing

Wee bird

More Mould Making

 

A few stages further on and each silicone rubber half mould is encased within plaster.

There are keys within it to hold the mould in place.

The silicone took overnight to set but the plaster is much quicker so before long I had 3 mould waiting for wax.

The Week at SSW

 A whole 5 days of learning mould making!

First of all, it was to make sure a silicone release agent was applied liberally to the sculptures - I really wanted the sculptures to come out from the silcone after it had set.

Next, lay on top of cling film to protect the plaster from the clay, and build up around the piece about halfway, following any lines (so that the mould lines when cast show as little as possible)

a clay wall is added and then the silicone poured in.

I'm glad I had 3 pieces as I could practice and repeat the process 3 times to learn it more thoroughly.

Large Beech Leaf

Silicone Poured

Tomorrow!!!

Exciting times -  I'm off to the Scottish Sculpture Workshop tomorrow for a week residential. 

Many thanks again to the award from VACMA throught Aberdeen City council.

These are the beech leaves I'm using to make molds.

                                                        Beech - Faidhbhile (Scottish Gaelic)

old & new plaster leaves

I decided to carve another leaf, this time larger. I thought it may be too big but on my usual walk up the road from the house I realised that the leaves on the copper beech hedge were the same size. And then of course it occurred to me that the smaller leaf fitted beautifully in my hand but I have fairly small hands so a leaf to fit a larger hand was necessary.

I have been researching a little and found some interesting information about the beech leaf. Now how much of the mythology is true I don't know but I like the ideas.

"Slivers of beech wood and leaves were once carried as talismans to bring good luck and increase creative energy." (www.thebeechtreeinkirriemuir)

Also no harm was said to befall a lost traveller who sought shelter under the branches of a beech.

SSW update

 Lots of back and fro with emails and the upheaval at Scottish Sculpture Workshop with their capital development changes, but finally....

I am booked in for a week's residential to learn mould making for casting. Really excited!!!!

Thanks to my VACMA award this is now happening.

New Gallery

Two members of the flock are now for sale at Larks Gallery  in Ballater! 

The owner is a very lovely lady called Pip and I'm so pleased that my work is getting out into the world.

'Poised'

  

'White Bird'

Of course I forgot to take the wee 'care of your sculpture' zine so they are being posted tomorrow.

We had an excellent walk too.