Wednesday, August 6, 2014

"Look!" - the making of (Pre-Foundry)

The first sculpture in the House Horse Series was "Look!"  When I "imagined" him he was standing on the fireplace mantle looking at me standing on the 2nd floor.  I was looking down over the bannister of the landing into the family room when I saw him looking up at me.  It was a bit of a surreal experience and one that is hard to describe.  But I saw his form the way I sculpted it and he became the basis for the style of all the horses I sculpt.

Here is a photo of him in in the beginning stages of sculpting him - I took this from upstairs using zoom on the camera.

 
 
And as time went on I did the finishing details in my studio once the clay was dry.  In that stage I do a lot of sanding and carving.

 
 
 
 
 
Until finally I re-attach the tail and he's ready to be put in front of the mirror.
 
 
 
 
And then it is time to say goodbye to the original sculpture.  I will never see it again as it will be destroyed in the process of turning it into bronze...a heart wrenching thought - especially for the first sculpture an artist takes to the foundry to have this done.  But the end result is (hopefully) spectacular and permanent and can be shared with other people because several (in the case of "Look!" only 50 bronzes will be made) bronzes are made from the original and then the mold that was made from the original is destroyed.
 

 
Tomorrow is a pictorial of the bronze process and then I hope that any of you who are reading this have met me at the wonderful show Sculpture in the Park in Loveland!
 
"Til tomorrow!
 
~Alex
 
 
 

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