#549 In the studio: "Moose Junction"

This September, I'm introducing a new work entitled, "Moose Junction" at 

The National Museum of Wildlife Art's annual Western Visions Exhibition in Jackson, Wyoming.
http://www.westernvisions.org/

The sculpture was started almost three years ago at the Lake of the Woods studio in Ontario, Canada.

When we closed the island studio in the fall of 2011, the unfinished clay model was taken 

to the Wyoming studio and has since been tweaked and refined to completion for the upcoming show. 

My typical working method is to keep many pieces in progress at once and rarely is a studio work
session spent on a single sculpture. I move between several models and adjust them them as I see fit. 

  Occasionally, I create a one-sitting clay sketch that is deemed worthy of molding and casting. 

Below, are images of the clay model start-up of "Moose Junction" after a few hours of modeling at the 

cabin/studio in Canada in 2011 and another of the work in progress in Wyoming.

Below, the clay model has been backlit to show a strong silhouette revealing sculptural drawing,
positive and negative shapes, proportion, and important masses.  This method is used routinely in the studio.
When in the field, I typically see and identify an animal by observing large shapes and the silhouette.
The viewer must immediately perceive clarity and understand the species they are looking at.

Below, is an image of sandblasting the bronze casting before it goes to patina.

Below, are images of the patina process.  A traditional patina using liver of sulfur, 

ferric nitrate, cupric nitrate, and hot wax was chosen for the new sculpture.

 Above and below, liver of sulfur is applied to the unheated bronze.

Below, the bronze is heated, then cupric nitrate is stippled on.

Next, the bronze continues to be heated with a propane torch and ferric nitrate is stippled on.

The patina technician applies Johnson's Paste Wax while the bronze is still too hot to the touch.

Below, is an image of "Moose Junction".

Moose Junction
16"H 17"W 8"

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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish