The Sculpting Process

The process starts with an initial idea. Ideas can stay in my mind for a long time. The initial idea can also change over time.

The next step is to gather pictures or make some test pieces to make sure that the idea will come together. At this stage the approximate size of the sculpture should be worked out.

The actual sculpting work starts with a wooden board and some aluminium wire for support. The wire can be bent to the required shape. I use only two different types of materials – paper clay or wax. There are other materials available but these are the two that I like. I like clay because it can be shaped easily. The down side to clay is that it needs to be kept moist.

Once the sculpture is complete, a silicon mould is made of the sculpture. The mould is made of silicon with an outer layer of reinforced plaster.

A wax copy of the sculpture is made from the mould. The wax model is sent to the foundry where a bronze cast is made of the sculpture.

The raw bronze sculpture is then sand blasted to remove the shell. The pictures and video show the patinering of my Humpback Whale bronze sculpture by Jody Pawley. The sculpture is heated and chemicals are painted using a paintbrush onto the hot sculpture. This gives the desired colour (patina) to the sculpture. A coat of wax is applied to the sculpture to protect the patina.