Kickstarter Follow-up

Dear Art Lover,

     Two years ago, I held a Kickstarter fundraiser to cast into bronze many of my wax sculptures that I created when I left my home studio in Texas and began attending an art school in Florence, Italy.  Years later, I could not stand the idea of losing all of that work just because the market dropped out (and/or maybe it was my fault for not keeping up with the marketing end of my business once I got to Italy).  The fundraiser was successful in that we raised the money for the foundry.

     However, the foundry did not live up to its word, entirely.  As the deadline neared, it was clear that they were not going to finish my work.  My regular foundry had retired and while I got quote from several others with whom I was familiar, I chose to work with another family run foundry I had known and worked with for years.  However, these folks are also sculptors and in the end, they chose to prioritize their own project over those of their clients.  I ended up picking up my unfinished bronze sculptures.  So, the waxes were saved as bronzes, but the work was not entirely finished.

     I spend the recent holiday weekend chasing bronzes.  This means that I carved my sculptures, removing bronze sprue connection points and investment mold pieces.  It was a lot of work on 28 individual sculptures.  Next will be to straighten out any bends in the metal so that the bas-relief sculptures lie flat, drill holes for mounting, clean them from all fingerprints, and then John and I will add the patinas (coloring) and protective covering, then mount to the stone bases, where appropriate.

     One perk of the timing for this trip back to Texas is that I arrived in time to see the famous bluebonnets.  I hope that you enjoy these images and thanks for sharing in the art journey.

     If you would like to buy a “Ten” or a “Valentine” bronze sculpture from the Kickstarter fundraiser, or any available work, please contact me:  http://www.borsheimarts.com/contact.htm

Butterfly enjoying the Blue!

Bee Feeder - Texas Bluebonnet

Wild Boar Path?

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     I will be leaving Texas in less than a week and traveling to Florida to help my baby sister celebrate her marriage.  After that, I will be traveling to see more family in North Carolina and Virginia before arriving at Don Elliott’s Franklin Barry Gallery on Monday, May 15.  I hope to see you there, or later in Austin, Texas, for a visit [see event information below].

Calendar:

Monday, May 15, 2017:  Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

The Franklin Barry Gallery aka The Frame Shop, Indianapolis [normal gallery hours 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.]; 617 Massachusetts Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana  46204;  Tel.  317.822.8455

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Friday and Saturday, May 19-20, 2017:  Austin, Texas

Rue Artsier presents LiberArte event spettacolo!

Friday, May 19, 2017   from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Saturday, May 20  from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Where:  615 W. 7th St., 8th Floor, Austin, Texas 78701

R.S.V.P.  Brenda@rueartsier.com

Lists of artists:

Luis Rico- Mexico

Adrian Moraru- Moldova

Leandro Klapputh- Buenos Aires

Maria Fotaki- Greece

Denis Chernov- Moscow

Kelly Borsheim. Austin & Italia

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I hope to see you!

Peace,

Kelly

P.S.  Subscribe to the art newsletter here (it is FREE):  http://www.borsheimarts.com/contact.htm

Creation of Bronze Garden Sculpture

Dear Art Lover,

     Ok, I just finished one page about my new bronze sculpture "Rock Towers and Frogs."  It has a lot of images about the process I went through to create the piece and some of the foundry work.  I will have more in the next art newsletter that I am starting to write now.. after a wee break from the computer.  Thank you for your interest.  Please share this page if you enjoy it.  http://www.borsheimarts.com/sculpture/2016/RockTowersFrogGardenSculpture.htm

Peace,

Kelly

P.S.  Please check out the “Raccolta e Regalo” sale I am having on selected artworks.. good through Dec 31, 2016.  http://www.borsheimarts.com/SaleArt2016-LaRaccoltaeIlRegalo.htm

Subscribe to the art newsletter here (it is FREE):  http://www.borsheimarts.com/contact.htm

Insulation foam used for sculpture armature

Driving the sculpture to Pietrasanta, the city of sculpture

Wax Sculpture Consultation Bronze Foundry

Dear Art Lover,

     I returned to the foundry in Pietrasanta recently, but it meant an early rise for me!  Hhaha… still, it was a beautiful sunrise and the light was pretty to see the dawn while the lights of the faraway village were still on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another reason to NOT smoke!

 

    When I entered the wax room, the first thing I saw was the bottom section of my sculpture "Rock Towers and Frogs."  It was floating upside down in a tub of water with wax parts from other sculptures.   

 

 

 

      You may see it here reinforced on the underside with bamboo.  I always think that water is a brilliant storage method for the waxes.  It helps normalize the temperature, so less risk of the wax melting or becoming too brittle. Water is soft enough to never damage the wax or mix with it.  And it can accommodate a sculpture of any shape or size, supporting all parts equally.

      The choice to use bamboo as reinforcement is important because the next step is to dip each sprued sculpture part into at least six layers of a ceramic shell slurry.  This takes several days since each coat must be dry before being dipped into the next.  Once the dipping done and the layers thoroughly dry, the ensemble will be cooked in a furnace, firing the ceramic mold while melting out all of the contents.  That is why this is called the “Lost Wax Process” and why any material MUST be destroyed by fire, leaving very little inside.  Bamboo is rigid and strong, but burns away!  Bamboo, newspaper, wooden toothpicks, wooden skewer sticks (for shish-kabob), etc. are some of the materials used to support the wax when needed.  Not  all sculptures require this, but it helps creativity to know what is available or what are feasible options around potential complications, no?

My future bronze sculpture in wax - upside down in water!

And now, right side up on a table-ready for proofing!

     Here Raymondo has removed my sculpture bottom part for my lookover and approval.  He has already chased (cleaned up) the wax and the piece is ready to be sprued.  That means it wlll be connected to a wax funnel and connecting and venting (wax) lines whose placement is determined by the inevitable flow of molten bronze.

     Each foundry works in a different way and you might imagine there is never only one way to cast a composition into bronze.  I used to be a production manager for the neg/pos department of a commercial photo lab, until I moved into image preservation.  I learned from my study of mathematics and enhanced in the lab the idea that if you can understand the process and plan for it, you may avoid many hurdles along the way.  I also learned to trust people to do what they do best.  

     So, this last image I share with you shows Raymondo and Fabio studying the photo of my original composition in clay, wax, and foam.  Fabio works in the bronze part of the production.  I deferred to their judgment, which was to cast the remaining ten stones separately.  Earlier we had thought to mold them separately, but weld them together in wax, since working in wax is MUCH easier than working in metal.  But they decided the safer thing would be to receive good parts in bronze and then we will arrange the stones into the towers that were in my original composition.  And then weld and possibly drill a hole for a future fountain.

     Remember, I am offering a pre-casting discount on the price of this piece if you place your order before 1 November 2016.  This copy in the edition has been sold, but I will send you progress pictures of your sculpture being made, just as I am here.  In the case of a “future” artwork, we work out a payment plan that works for you and the casting process, meaning that after the initial payment, you pay installations based on the progress of the work, paying in full before the sculpture is shipped to you. I have sold many bronze sculptures in this way and am grateful to those who can envision the finished bronze when all they have seen is clay or wax!  

    Thank you for your interest.

Peace,

Kelly

http://BorsheimArts.com

Consulting on the Best way to Cast THIS bronze sculpture

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