Transformation wax sculpture

Here's my first attempt at making a sculpture out of wax. It took a minute to get used to the medium, as it's very sticky, pliable, and hard to work with until heated by a flame, hot tools, heater, or hot water. A big change from clay, which is soft to hard and wax is hard-soft-hard. But I got used to it, and began to enjoy it. I took many photos of the wax sculpture, since it will disappear in the process of making a shell (of my sculpture) for the bronze to be poured into. Also there are many angles of this piece. I'm only posting selected ones below. When the bronze phase begins, I'll post more at that stage.

This is the first part of the process for this to become a bronze sculpture in the end. :) Very exciting...a bronze sculpture of my own! First the idea, then a small rough macquette out of clay.

The sculpture assignment: an object that transforms into something else and could be picked up and looked at. Since this is a bronze, I decided to do something close to my heart...my dog Kura. I also have always loved monkeys and the way Kura talks to me with a yawning sound (think Chewbacca of Star Wars) - she sometimes sounds like a monkey even! So, using photo references, and observing Kura at home, I made a sculpture in a yin-yang design of Kura sleeping and a monkey sleeping back-to-back - sharing the same body. Since it took on an abstract feel on it's own, I decided not to add much detail, including facial features.

During the process:
Finished wax piece:








bottom/underneath (hollowed out):