mold, mold, mold

Work continued on molding Meg's Home of the Innocents figures. We wanted to de-mold the first figure, before doing the mold on the second figure. Steve and I are using exacto razor knives to separate the rubber mold on the top piece of the figure. The plaster mother mold for that piece is in the lower left corner of the photo. The rubber mold was removed, and the clay figure re-emerges. We de-molded down to the last sections and duct taped the plaster pieces so that they would not shift. I cut the clay off, so that we could turn this piece upside down. That enables easy access for Meg to finish the clay work on the bottom, which was very difficult to reach otherwise. This is the bottom of the first figure after it has received the rubber coating. The bottom of the baby has been done at this time, too. It is leaning against the wall, in the background upper left. All of the other pieces of the first figure are finished and de-molded. So far, so good.The second figure was cut apart and we put 2 coats of rubber on the main portion. Steve is squeezing out a thick mix of polygel 40 and polyfiber where he plans to place bubble shims. This is the second figure with the first 2 coats of rubber and the bubble shims. This is the second figure after receiving the full coating of rubber. We still have to put the rubber on the butterflies, the blanket and 2 arms. Also, the plaster mother molds for the second figure have to be made. I spent a large portion of this week making 2 big plywood crates for the mold. I also had to chase down a large quantity of foam packing material to cushion the plaster and rubber molds during freighting. Steve and I also spent a lot of time trimming tree branches that were hanging down in our studio road because of ice damage. The branches had to be cleared so that they won't impede the freight truck when they come to pick up the crates.

We're getting close to finishing the mold work for this project of Meg's.

Moldbusters!

If you're overbooked with sculpture commissions and you need molds real fast, who you gonna call... Meg had approval on her clay-for-bronze sculptures for the Emily Cooper Memorial. It was time to put molds on the pieces and ship them to the foundry. The first step was to dismantle the first figure group into manageable pieces. We are removing the dove from the babies hands. In certain instances, it is best to cut off appendages to make the molding process simpler. We have removed the babies arms and legs. Next, we will slice through the woman's wrist and remove her arms. The small pieces are pinned to boards, so that we can make 2-part molds on each piece. We were able to enlist the help of Steve McMillen. He and I did all the mold work, so that Meg could move on to other projects. Steve is applying vaseline to the boards so that plaster and rubber won't stick to them. Steve is spraying a mold release onto the clay before applying the rubber mold compound. We use the 2300 from Polytek. The next step was to apply 2 coats of rubber. We use polygel 40 from Polytek. You mix 2 equal parts and apply with a brush. It's important that you apply the first coat very carefully, because that will pick up the details of the clay work. I draw the part lines on top of the second coat (when it is firm) to help determine where to put the shims. Next, we cut plastic shims to make the part lines. We use bubble sheet from Sculpture Depot in Loveland, Colorado. We mix a regular batch of Polygel 40 and then add Polyfiber (from Polytek) until it is knife-grade (not runny) in thickness. We put the thickened mixture into a ziplock bag, cut a corner and apply it like someone would apply icing to a cake. By squeezing a finger-sized line onto the part lines, we can stick the plastic shims into it and it will hold. We tape the pieces of plastic bubble shim together. We heard something on the windowsill, eating the bird seed during a heavy rain. After making and attaching the shims (the hardest part of the job), it's a simple matter of applying successive coats of rubber until you get the desired thickness (1/4 to 3/8 of an inch). On the last coat, you want to make sure that there are no undercuts, so that the plaster mother mold will release. Iron Maiden? The bubble shims have a cool look. Baby Hans Solo in Carbonite? The last step (not counting de-molding) is applying the plaster mother mold. We use Tuff Cal which is a hydrocal with fiberglas fibers. It is formulated to be extra tough and strong. The mother mold insures that the rubber mold will retain it's shape when wax is poured into it. We apply a coat of plaster about 3/8 of an inch to the rubber. Then we spread a layer of hemp fibers which gets covered up by another 3/8" of plaster. The embedded hemp fibers add lots or resilience and strength to the mold. (Hemp? the jokes just write themselves, don't they).

We finished the mold for the first figure grouping this week and hope to finish the second figure in this coming week. Please check out Meg's blog, as she went to Reed Quarry in Bloomington, IN on Friday and bought 2 huge blocks of stone (I'm going to try to talk her out of the smaller one). The 16 ton block is for a commission in Charles City, Iowa.

Approval

The theme of the week is "Approval", because we had committee members visit Meg's studio and give approval to the clay prototypes for her Home of the Innocents sculptures. There are pictures of those pieces on her blog (link in the top right corner).

This is the week's progress on my stone sculpture "Uphold". There were quite a few steps between the block lying on the table, as seen in last week's post, and this upright and blocked-in sculpture. However, I forgot to take the camera to work for several days and missed taking step-by-step shots.

A beaver made a sculptural solution with this tree that is on the edge of our property. (Kind of an anti-gravity thing going on.)

showing Mercy

Tuesday, we showed the studio and sculpture garden to 5 senior art students from Mercy Academy in Louisville.

Jennifer Pollard, their instructor, explained how the students had to produce 40 individual works of art during their independent study. I found that fact impressive, as producing work is the key to finding your individual 'voice'.
According to Meg (far right) , no visit is complete without climbing to the top of the caboose and looking around. I made a base for "Exodus", finished the piece and set it outside. This is the other side, with "Embrace" in the background.

I used the crane truck to get the block for a new project called "Uphold". I used the drill (foreground) to drill a series of holes. I put in 'feathers and wedges' and split the block lengthwise, to get the size that I needed.
The right half of the split block was laid down and then moved into the studio. This 1,500 lb. preform then had the design drawn onto it. It's exciting to start a new project.
Meg took this close-up of a Trillium when we were at Holt Bottom on Wednesday evening. She has other images on her blog.
Kentucky Cobra? Not hardly. Meg snapped this shot of a Hog Nosed Snake flaring its hood.
In the cliffs behind the house, Cliff Swallows take up residency in small caves. Photo Meg White.
In the swamp below the house, a crawdad dug a home. (free style adobe). Photo Meg White.

artistic side trip

Work continued on my functional sculpture 'Exodus' for most of the week.

The main focus of my effort was carving the intertwining forms inside the center of the sculpture.
The forms were further refined and the edge of the bench was shaped.
The inside forms were roughed-in on the other side, as well. I have to use the air hammer to make these shapes. I'd been working hard in the stone studio for the last few weeks; it's only natural that I would take some time away from stone for a couple days.
So, this is where I took an 'artistic side trip'. I spent the last 2 days of the week on creating a design for a block of Alabama white marble that I have. The trapezoidal outline is the shape of the marble block, with the design drawn to scale.
I wanted to make a 1/4 scale model in clay. Meg showed me how to make a scale printout (on the right side of the table), which helped me to lay up the clay fast.
Jon kept me company during the process.
I thought that the model came out well. However, it is too involved of a project to have ready for the Yew Dell Outdoor Sculpture Show which opens on May 29. Therefore, this truly was a side trip, as it will have to be set aside until the time is right.
I usually like to do a little exploring this time of year, but it's been a cold and wet spring. Meg talked me into going down to Holt Bottom with her last Sunday evening.
Meg took this picture of Bluebells (?) that were blooming next to the creek.

Something old, something new...

In terms of something new...

...work continued all week on my functional sculpture "Exodus". I cut the extra stone off the top to make the bench surface.

The next step is the removal of the extra stone along the sides, where I will carve in the intertwining forms. I have ground the surface smooth, to make it easier to draw the design onto the stone.

I roughed in the profile along the end of the sculpture.

The process was repeated on the other side. The outer form was refined, including the shaping of the edges.

The Dept. of Fish and Wildlife bought up 1,000 acres in Holt Bottom (not far from here). We will show more pictures in a later posting. Shifting the flavor of this post to something old...this abandoned house stands on that property. Whenever I see an old house like this, I can't help but think about a time when the new owners were so excited to move into their brand new house. They raised their family, the house knew good times and bad...and now its time has come and gone.

The house's job is not completely finished yet. It's the home for these bees (and who knows what else).
This is a portion of the old highway 259. The horses and wagons no longer travel this path (for now). It's amazing how fast nature takes back over. You have to ask yourself, "Will what I'm doing today, leave an impression 100 years from now?"

Hand Finished

I finished the Hand Seat and moved it out of the studio.

This picture doesn't do this piece justice - I'll work on getting better images. I'm very happy with the way this sculpture came out. It will be shown in the Yew Dell Outdoor Sculpture Show opening on May 29.

I began a new project that will also go to the Yew Dell show. It is entitled "Exodus" and the raw block weighed in at over 2,500 lbs. It measures 5'-6"L x 2'-4"H x 1'-5"D.

The first task was to draw the design onto the block. Then I inscribed the lines with a small diamond saw. There's an extra piece on the end that is being cut off. I have cut all the way around with a big diamond saw. Then, I drilled 3 holes in the top for the 'feathers and wedges'.

The extra piece was broken off by gently beating on the wedges, and slowly building up pressure. The scrap will become a small sculpture one day soon.

The wildflowers are trying to do their thing, but it keeps raining. Photo by Meg White.

Wildflower with frost. Photo by Meg White.
Saturday, Meg and I attended a workshop, sponsored by the Louisville Clay Society, and hosted in the University of Louisville's ceramics lab. Beth Cavener Stichter demonstrated her technique for creating large clay pieces. It was a fantastic experience!