Monday is after Sunday

Topsy turvy house continues but the workers have not arrived and are, in fact delayed.  So the house is waiting.  Home renovations are sooo  - disruptive. 

I know it will be marvelous once it is done and it is, in fact, a remaking of a part of the house into a gallery for my art and a place for entertaining.  I know I will love it once it's through.

But enough - you are not hear to read of my remodeling woes.  You want to know how I make something that looks like someone waaay younger than me made it into something that is, in fact, beautiful fine art bronze sculpture.

Next step.  Add more clay.  Let dry.  Add more clay, let dry, add more clay, let dry. 

Really.  Let me see if I can find some more progress photos.

beginning of "Yata, the North Wind" in clay with little "Look!"
in bronze standing in the foreground 

So here is a good photo of "Yate the North Wind" the first sculpture in the Lakota Winds Series standing next to a finished in bronze "Look!" sculpture.  I love this stage in the sculpting because they are beginning to form a personality and do gain a lot of their characteristics just from the material I use to sculpt with; that paper clay.

 

 

 

And here is another one of "Yata" in progress from the other side.  Unlike many other sculptors, I sculpt my originals free standing.  But I do occasionally employ the use of "props" - you can see some black tape down at Yata's feet - this tape is holding his legs down onto a level surface while the clay on the legs dry...otherwise some of his legs may dry unevenly...they may anyway, but this helps.

 

 

And here is "Yata" nearly finished in paper clay.  There are some differences between this one and the finished bronze because this is pre-put-in-front-of-the-mirror Yata.  Once I think I'm finished I always put a sculpture in front of a mirror and anything that doesn't look right in the reflection I address.  Then off to the mold maker and the process of turning the original into bronze. 

 

Then a couple of months (yes MONTHS) later:

 

 

Tada!  Beautiful!

 

I will show you some photos of me working on "Look!" in my studio tomorrow and then the NEXT day will show you some actual photos of him being turned into bronze...all the many steps to make that happen.

 

'Till tomorrow!

 

~Alex