The goal is to get these graphics to viable fully modeled 3D sculptures.

So, it’s out to the shop to get some work done. Another unglamorous picture of how sculpture gets made. The sun is shining and that’s nice.

Since these are going to be bronze castings from wax models, I make some wax sheets, use the design as a template to cutout the figure, stack them up like a relief map, and add soft wax to flesh out the forms and emphasize the third dimension. Dip the whole thing in warm water and bend and shape it. Working outside in the barn with the wood stove going is actually very helpful; the cold air keeps the wax firm and holding it’s shape. Moving it nearer to the stove warms up the surface of the wax so you can smooth it, without warming the core so much that it starts moving where you don’t want it to. Take it outside for a few minutes to really get hard. When working with wax in the summertime it is all the time too soft to get decent results. It gets too soft to hold it’s shape right and you end up putting it in the icebox to chill and firm up. Of course you are sitting in the sun in a T shirt and shorts instead of long underwear and Carharts. On the other hand, Winter, you are not tempted to go skateboarding or swimming at the lake.

Second Splash:

I have been wanting to do work that is more spontaneous. After my last project which was over a year in length, nice as that was, I think I need to loosen up with some quick and smaller things. A little more expressionist, not so engineered and analytical. I’ve some things like this from before, nicely gestural and lively.

I recently met an artist with a personal bronze foundry he built for himself. I proposed to work with him on his pours in exchange for the chance to do some of my own work there. He has generously invited me access to his studio. 

“It cannot be doubted that these designs and paintings also have an aesthetic character; here is the first form of art. Since they are also, and even above all, a written language, it follows that the origins of design and those of writing are one. It even becomes clear that men commenced designing not so much to fix upon wood or stone beautiful forms which charm the senses, as to translate his thoughts into matter. (c.f. Schoolcraft Indian Tribes 1 p405,  Dorsey Siouan Cults pp.394 ff)” 

Durkheim, Emile The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life The Free Press Macmillan Co NY 1965 p. 149

As Tjurunga are culturally sensitive material, I will not show an example here. If you would like to see some, you can do so at Simon Pockley’s website Flight of Ducks . Try the results for 2011 and 2010.

From Siouan Cults :

I used some ultra-secret 3000 grit sandpaper that comes on a thin foam backing, kind of like a mega-fine 3M pad (thanks Garry), to buff down the fine hairs and grain raised by the application of the first coat, especially around the equator of the piece where the grain is flat and difficult to chisel as sharply and cleanly as on the end grain at the top and bottom. The trick is not to dull the sharp edges of the chisel marks which are so nice, and this special sanding pad can do it much better that I could do on the practice piece with regular 2000 grit paper. This gave those areas a much “harder” surface, without the vaguely distracting fuzz of the loose hairs, which as hard as they are to see, still create a lack of visual sharpness.

I applied a second coat, this one thinned about 10% with mineral spirits and wiped on lightly with a cotton cloth – an old t shirt. This is all mostly automatic since of course I’d done some testing before. It is worth all that rehearsal so as not to be a nervous wreck when doing the real work. I like adventure, but I suppose I like most adventure which leads to success.

I think it was clever to use rock climbing camming devices to apply outward pressure on the splinters to hold them in place while gluing.

I clipped and pulled out most of the fine slivers, and blew out all the sawdust and chips with compressed air.

Yoga, Martial arts, Performing arts, Music, Military tactics, Science. There are elements of of these arts in sculpture– Yogika, steadyness of mind and purpose. Mallika and Natya, ability of execution. Sangitka, harmony and proportion.  Dhanusya, tactics and strategy, Vyaraharika, science and methodology.

All that realized, I decided to use Arm-R-Seal Wipe-On Oil Varnish, available at Woodcraft. Garry said he’s had good results with it, and it was easy to control by wiping on, or off, with cloths. I set about carving up a test piece which would have samples of the different grain faces which are to be found in the sculpture.

I tested sanding both before and after he initial coat went on, and also tried up to two and three coats un-sanded, to see the effect. Ultimately I preferred a hard sculpted finish that retains the un-sanded sharp edges of the chisel marks, but not yet shiny or glossy.

The right side was sanded. I don’t like how the edges flatten out and catch the light.

The center is three coats.

The far left side is two coats, not glossy.

The best outcome is probably to use a very heavy first coat, as much as will soak in, followed by two very thinly wiped-on coats. The color is nice. So much warmer than the raw wood. Not dry-looking.

What an adventure making this has been. By adventure we think we mean climbing mountains, paddling rivers, or riding a moped to South America, an endeavor whose outcome is unknown, entailing possible risk. But this sculpture has been a journey to the unknown too. If people wonder how I can be so compelled to follow this through to the ending, it is because I do not know where the ending is, and it is a process of pure, joyful discovery. How often can you say that about life? A mountain is a hard thing to climb, but when you stand at the bottom, you are in fact in possession of everything you need to accomplish the task, and all else depends only on your will and enthusiasm. How often are you alone set to a task where you posses all the abilities and resources to accomplish it? “Truth is a pathless land…”, and can only be found by oneself. This sculpture is a journey for me to knowing the Truth, and I find it as fascinating, exciting, dangerous, and fun, and any mountain I’ve climbed or, or adventure I’ve had. If people say, that sculpture is so tedious to do, I say that tedium is made out of doing what you know already or looking for what you can expect to find. Such are most of the efforts of our lives, inevitably.

Anyway, and now, here is the completely carved figure.

One side:

The other side:

Close up:

So next, I’ll want to apply a finish, probably an oil varnish, to protect the wood and mellow the color and texture.