It weighs 21 lbs., 13.5 oz. and measures 10" high, 10" wide, and about 11" deep (and bottom).
Monday, December 24, 2007
Finished Abstract
After chizeling, pounding, and sanding away with various tools to transform a cylinder block of plaster, the abstract design is done. It can be displayed sitting on any angle, and not necessarily on the largest end as shown below. My instructor also wanted us to create a design that could be displayed and looked at by any angle/side. I added texture to this one, since I love texture and all my other projects ended up being smooth. I then painted it in layers with various colors. The lighting really makes a difference in viewing this and its colors and texture. Here, the camera flash was used, except for the last photo with white background...so you can see what I mean. I retook photos with the dark background after retouching paint and spraying the piece with a clear matte coating.
It weighs 21 lbs., 13.5 oz. and measures 10" high, 10" wide, and about 11" deep (and bottom).
It weighs 21 lbs., 13.5 oz. and measures 10" high, 10" wide, and about 11" deep (and bottom).
Finished Piggy!
Here is the piggy bank I had previously posted showing the earlier stages. The assignment was to create a clay sculpture based on or inspired by any myth. I decided to do something inspired by the modern day "Beauty Myth." This is also functional art as a real piggy bank with large coin slot and removable large cork. It weighs 19 lbs., 7.5 oz. and measures at about 17" long, 11 1/2" high, and 11 1/2" wide.
Artist's Statement:
Minor repairs and touch ups of cracks:
After painting a metallic black glaze base coat:
Drying in between the many coats of pink paint I mixed:
After pink and black paint:
Spray coating with lacquer for high gloss appearance:
Done!:
"Made in China" sticker:
Barcode sticker:
Artist's Statement:
1. a little girl having a piggy bank conveys innocence, nostalgia, tradition, and sweetness. However all that is grossly altered by her obsession to change how she looks, that she is saving up her coins in this blown-up large piggy bank.
2. the irony that the bank is a pig/"piggy", which many chubby girls are called if not thin, as today's standards conveyed in the media. And the pig is symbolic of the girl with writing over it in a marker of body parts to be altered, such as a plastic surgeon would do on a patient's body. Also, how many patients end up looking very much alike. (i.e. the barcode sticker)
3. The overwhelming obsession and addiction of plastic surgery, materialism, and the exterior...especially shown all over the media and celebrity world. Also sending so many people into debt.
4. The inflated large piggy bank is also symbolic of what a large business plastic surgery is; how much it costs; how much profit the medical professionals make; and how it is factory-like - as piggy banks are made. (i.e. the "Made in China" sticker)
I'm not certain on the title for sure, but in my mind have been calling her "Piggy."Let me know if you have any comments about this...
I'll first show the process of making her since you last saw her as my finished clay sculpture.
After the kiln firing (which shrinks it and makes it a light salmon color):
Minor repairs and touch ups of cracks:
After painting a metallic black glaze base coat:
Drying in between the many coats of pink paint I mixed:
After pink and black paint:
Spray coating with lacquer for high gloss appearance:
Done!:
"Made in China" sticker:
Barcode sticker:
Art show pix!
Here are photos of my charcoal drawings hanging at the two art shows mentioned in a recent posting. They were in different buildings of the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA. The Big Bang show (with the portrait drawing below) is open for viewing (free), with the last day being January 3rd. See details and post card in the previous post.
Foundations Winter Art Show 2007
My hands charcoal drawing for Figure Drawing, which is in an earlier post here.
Big Bang Art Show 2007 (all majors)
Below is my Ethan Hawke portrait drawing created with charcoal, from a Spring drawing class (posted earlier on). I couldn't make it to the opening reception for this art show, so the spacious, spread out gallery was pretty empty when I went. Also classes were going on when I was in the building. So, the photo with me in it below was a self-portrait, holding out my hand to take it!
Foundations Winter Art Show 2007
My hands charcoal drawing for Figure Drawing, which is in an earlier post here.
Big Bang Art Show 2007 (all majors)
Below is my Ethan Hawke portrait drawing created with charcoal, from a Spring drawing class (posted earlier on). I couldn't make it to the opening reception for this art show, so the spacious, spread out gallery was pretty empty when I went. Also classes were going on when I was in the building. So, the photo with me in it below was a self-portrait, holding out my hand to take it!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Finished Dog/Monkey
Here are the final stages of the wax to bronze transformation sculpture project. There are 2 other earlier postings showing the progress of the wax and then onto bronze, if you'd like to see those first for the entire process: http://bornagainartist.blogspot.com/2007/10/transformation-wax-sculpture.html and http://bornagainartist.blogspot.com/2007/12/bronze-progress-dogmonkey.html
This is the sculpture of my dog Kura on one side and a monkey on the other side, back-to-back and sleeping peacefully. For now it's titled, "Kura-Monkey". Weighing in at about 14 lbs., 6.5 oz. by itself, it measures at about 10 1/2 inches long x 6 1/2 inches wide x 3 1/4 high...looking at the longest/widest/highest points.
This is a very special piece for me and I took A LOT of time on it at all the stages. It was a challenge to sculpt (as wax) and also creating my concept of only seeing one animal at a time and being surprised by the other as it was seen from different angles. You can see what I mean by all the camera angles I used to photograph it. To only see one animal at a time, it must be viewed at eye level looking straight at it. Later, I had to do a lot of touch ups and surface corrections when it came back as bronze...grinding, polishing, sandblasting, having someone weld trouble spots for me more than once, more grinding, more sandblasting, more polishing, and even got my own Dremel rotary tool set and attachments in the process for the smaller details and narrow spots.
(Don't forget...you can click on any image to enlarge, then hit your back button to return back to this page)
Inspiration:
I have always loved monkeys and when looking on the internet, found this fantastic adorable image. And, of course my sweet dog Kura (I took all of her photos).
Using power tools to grind, smoothe out, and make any corrections:
The next photo was taken after using one of the tools, which leaves a polished finish. However, this is not fully polished since it was intended for correcting the surface and some areas are not polished. This won't be the final finish of the surface. Though it looks beautiful and like gold! This metal would change colors though as it oxidizes.
Sandblasted finish to check surface, even out, and prep for patina:
Bronze will naturally have a patina over time by exposure to air and elements in the atmosphere. We apply patina with chemicals to speed up the process and to achieve the look we want. Different chemicals have different reactions, so they result in different colors. Also, some are room temperature, while most work with heat (by using the torch). This process is very unpredictable and can be redone after a run through the sandblaster. I spent a lot of time my first run and was satisfied with the results, so didn't have to try again. I had fun doing this. Though the torch isn't comfortable to hold and I was gripping for a while when doing this, so hand was shakey afterwards.
First patina - room temperature - dip into "Liver of Sulpher" (smells like rotten eggs). Had I left it in longer, it would eventually turn black. I chose to pull it out at this purpley color and since I continued with other patinas on top:
The patina booth! A ventilated booth for the torch on the right and chemicals:
VERRRRRY HOTTTTT!!!!
After it cooled and cold wax was applied, it was then buffed. This is to preserve the current patina, which adds a little shine and darkens it a bit as if wet. Wax can also be applied when the metal is still hot, but has darker results than if cold. I wanted to preserve the colors I had as much as possible.
THE FINAL RESULT! :)
I also made the wooden box stand it is on - except for cutting the wood.
(Don't forget...you can click on any image to enlarge, then hit your back button to return back to this page):
This is the sculpture of my dog Kura on one side and a monkey on the other side, back-to-back and sleeping peacefully. For now it's titled, "Kura-Monkey". Weighing in at about 14 lbs., 6.5 oz. by itself, it measures at about 10 1/2 inches long x 6 1/2 inches wide x 3 1/4 high...looking at the longest/widest/highest points.
This is a very special piece for me and I took A LOT of time on it at all the stages. It was a challenge to sculpt (as wax) and also creating my concept of only seeing one animal at a time and being surprised by the other as it was seen from different angles. You can see what I mean by all the camera angles I used to photograph it. To only see one animal at a time, it must be viewed at eye level looking straight at it. Later, I had to do a lot of touch ups and surface corrections when it came back as bronze...grinding, polishing, sandblasting, having someone weld trouble spots for me more than once, more grinding, more sandblasting, more polishing, and even got my own Dremel rotary tool set and attachments in the process for the smaller details and narrow spots.
(Don't forget...you can click on any image to enlarge, then hit your back button to return back to this page)
Inspiration:
I have always loved monkeys and when looking on the internet, found this fantastic adorable image. And, of course my sweet dog Kura (I took all of her photos).
Using power tools to grind, smoothe out, and make any corrections:
The next photo was taken after using one of the tools, which leaves a polished finish. However, this is not fully polished since it was intended for correcting the surface and some areas are not polished. This won't be the final finish of the surface. Though it looks beautiful and like gold! This metal would change colors though as it oxidizes.
Sandblasted finish to check surface, even out, and prep for patina:
Bronze will naturally have a patina over time by exposure to air and elements in the atmosphere. We apply patina with chemicals to speed up the process and to achieve the look we want. Different chemicals have different reactions, so they result in different colors. Also, some are room temperature, while most work with heat (by using the torch). This process is very unpredictable and can be redone after a run through the sandblaster. I spent a lot of time my first run and was satisfied with the results, so didn't have to try again. I had fun doing this. Though the torch isn't comfortable to hold and I was gripping for a while when doing this, so hand was shakey afterwards.First patina - room temperature - dip into "Liver of Sulpher" (smells like rotten eggs). Had I left it in longer, it would eventually turn black. I chose to pull it out at this purpley color and since I continued with other patinas on top:
The patina booth! A ventilated booth for the torch on the right and chemicals:
VERRRRRY HOTTTTT!!!!
After it cooled and cold wax was applied, it was then buffed. This is to preserve the current patina, which adds a little shine and darkens it a bit as if wet. Wax can also be applied when the metal is still hot, but has darker results than if cold. I wanted to preserve the colors I had as much as possible.
THE FINAL RESULT! :)
I also made the wooden box stand it is on - except for cutting the wood.
(Don't forget...you can click on any image to enlarge, then hit your back button to return back to this page):
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)