Sculpture Armature

Dear Art Lover,

    

     There are times when I realize just how much I left back in Texas.  Today, I am referring to my sculpture tools and supplies.  In the end, I found no reason to turn down what I hope will be a fun commission experience.  I had previously wondered if I would ever create another bronze after being disappointed with an experience I had with a foundry last year.  Now, it seems I will learn something about at least one foundry in Italia.

     Anyway, despite all the supplies and tools I have in storage in Texas, they will not do me any good in Italia.  So, I have bought wire and am using things that I find in and around my home.  It turns out that my landlord once again saves my days.  Not only does he allow me to borrow his tools, he also used to work in a metal shop.  Recently we drove together to Firenze to pick up in his van some furniture that I had bought from a friend.  Along the way he pointed out many of the greenhouses that he helped to create and install in Tuscany.   

     Thursday we returned with his dog Gregory to his former place of work and he cut a few pipe parts and grabbed a small metal “slab” and welded together a pipe to the base and created an adjustable horizontal bar to my specs.  This will be the part of the sculpture armature that will add extra support outside of the actual sculpture.  The sculpture will also have metal under the clay, or I may be using foam under the larger sections…just woke up from a nap with an idea on how I might be able to solve I problem that I have been mulling over.  Will keep you posted, if it works!

Gregory, the puppy, is not a fan of welding.  Tuscany, Italy

     Anyway, here is an image of the welding being done.  My landlord’s dog Gregory did NOT like the fire and apparently is a brave one, even at five months old.  He kept running right up into the work area and tugging on his companion’s pant legs to “save him.”  It was cute, and you may see a few more images of Gregory at work on my Facebook page.  However, it was dangerous and soon after this shot, I grabbed the puppy during a break from the fire and took him into another room to distract him.

The armature is what supports the weight of the clay and future mold.

      This second image I took today.  It shows a definite work-in-progress!  I am creating a bronze sculpture, possibly to also exist as a fountain if the new owners choose, that will in any event sit down inside of a small circular pond.  The upside down bucket you see is a visual space holder.  I want to create a design that looks beautiful above the top ledge of the wall, as well as have it look good as one approaches the pond and looks down into the well. I moved everything inside since we have been having many days of rain lately.

     This sculpture is an adaptation and enlargement of my original bronze “Cattails and Frog Legs” that I described in my last post here:

http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2016/05/frogs-and-cattails-pond-sculpture.html

See more images of the bronze here:

http://www.borsheimarts.com/sculpture/2007/froglegs.htm

I hope your weekend was a refreshing change of pace from your normal week.  Please share any of these posts that you find interesting.

Peace,

Kelly

http://BorsheimArts.com