#701 "American Icon"

The images below were taken at the foundry in the patina room.

"American Icon"

42"H 64"W 25"D
Edition 5

"American Icon" was commissioned by the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado

The American Bison, or Buffalo, has been elevated to the stature of the American Bald Eagle 

as a national emblem of our great country. The bison became the National Mammal of the 

United States under recent legislation due to its economic and cultural significance in the 

history of our great country.  Over 60 million roamed North America at one time but by 1890, 

their story almost ended with extinction. The largest population today of the iconic mammal 

resides in Yellowstone National Park - two hours from my Wyoming studio. While the bison 

has long been a favorite subject for my sculpture, It is more than an animal to me, it is 

an emotional manifesto that exemplifies my deep affinity for the West and its history.


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

#641 Prix de West, 2015

By this time next Sunday, Prix de West in Oklahoma City will be over and I'll post and update.

For more information about the exhibition, go to the museum and catalogue links and the blog links below:

http://pdw.nationalcowboymuseum.org

#254,  June 19, 2012

#313,  September 17, 2012

#538,  June 11, 2014

#539  June 14, 2014

This year is my 27th year to be invited to participate in the Prix de West Exhibition at the National Cowboy Museum and Western Heritage Center in Oklahoma City.  Like most artists, it's important for me to introduce new work at the prestigious event and no one wants to drop the ball!  The collector and museum expects new work and my studio method and working challenges demand it. The Prix de West, like the Autry, Eiteljorg, Briscoe, Jackson, Cody, and others gives the artist an opportunity to engage in a catalogued museum gala venue and sale that is as good as the artist chooses to make it . . . 

I can't imagine not giving it my best and respond with new work and over the years, I've attempted to do just that.

Below, are images of one of the new works for the exhibition entitled, "Jake".

The sculpture is a quiet study of a young male Wild Turkey and is shown cast in bronze and during patina.

The patina is achieved by applying liver of sulfur to cold metal then scrubbing back, revealing darks in the negatives
and lights on the high points.  Next the sculpture is heated and cupric nitrate is sizzled on to the hot metal.
Then, ferric nitrate is applied while the bronze is still hot.  The sculpture is waxed with Johnson's Paste Wax
after cool-down, and "Jake" is placed on a walnut base.

The close-ups reveal the "woodsy" feel and coloration I was attempting to convey with the patina.

For more information about see post
#635 May 17, 2015

Go to the BLOG INDEX on the right for more information.

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

#635 "Jake"

Please see the previous post for more information about this subject.



Wild Turkeys have a distinguished ancestry and are truly an all-American bird.
The big bird has survived since early pioneer days and our forefathers once
feasted upon its delicious meat just as we do now.

For wariness and cleverness, it is unsurpassed by any other bird but it's possible
to get relatively close to them in the wild at Brookgreen Gardens because
they are used to human activity.

 www.brookgreen.org


Over the years, the species has been one of my favorite subjects for not only sculpture,
but for etchings and drawings.   Brookgreen Gardens in Murrell's Inlet, South Carolina offers
an "in-the-field" experience and a great place to observe, sketch, and photograph Wild Turkeys.

Below, are images of a new sculpture entitled "Jake".  The bronze will be introduced at the 2015 Prix de West Exhibition
in Oklahoma City next month at the  National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.   The show opens June, 13.

"Jake"

3600

Shown below, is the clay model in progress.

Below, our Brittany, Penny joins Trish in the mold room while making the flexible rubber mold of Jake.

Below, I'm at the foundry placing the sculpture on a base plate for welding and the addition of terrain shapes.

 Below are two photos of Jake on the patina rack . . . after patina and before wax.

A Jake Turkey is an immature male turkey.  A Jake has shorter feathers on each side
of the tail fan and a small snood above the beck.  A snood is a flappy piece of skin that hangs over a turkey's beak.
All of the tail feathers on a mature Tom will be the same length and will appear as a symmetrical semi-circle
when he struts.  See the previous post for an image of a strutting Tom and the sculpture entitled "Tom".

Below, are photos of Wild Turkeys taken last month at Brookgreen Gardens.

The photos shown below are of a mature male gobbler or Tom. . . . a Jake's beard is short and grows with age.

Go to the BLOG INDEX on the right for more information.

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

#610 In the studio and in the foundry: Flexible molds, con't . . .

The focus of this blog is two-fold:  1. Creating a plaster mother-mold after five coats of rubber

                                                           mold material have been applied to the clay model of the sculpture. 

                                                       2.  Pouring liquid wax into the finished mold at the foundry   

                                                            thus creating a wax replica of the clay model. 

To review the initial steps for making a flexible rubber mold, see the previous post then

 go to blog # 572, posted October 8, 2014 and Blog #574, posted October 15, 2014.

Blog #572                      Blog #574

Shown below, five coats of rubber have been applied to the clay model of "First Season Promise"
 and have cured.  Before hot, liquid wax can be poured into the mold,

the two sides of the rubber mold must be encased in a plaster "mother-mold" to give support to the flexible rubber.

Below, is an image of Trish making the first side of the rigid plaster mother-mold for "First Season Promise" in the studio.  

Shown below, Trish has covered the other side of the mold with plaster.

Shown below, the plaster has cured overnight and the two sides are opened.

Shown below, the flexible rubber mold is peeled away, exposing the artist's clay model of the sculpture.

Below, are images taken at the foundry of a technician pouring hot, liquid wax into the mold.

After the liquid wax is poured into the mold, the wax is sloshed and the excess is poured out.




After the wax has cooled, the two sides of the mold are then separated revealing the wax copy. 

the flexible rubber is peeled away and an exact wax replica of the artist's sculpture is removed.  

The technician carefully pulls the flexible rubber from deep undercuts and refrains from tearing the rubber mold.

The flexible rubber mold is now ready for another wax to be poured in order to produce another bronze casting.

The wax replica of the clay model will be used to initiate and expedite the lost-wax bronze casting process at the foundry.

Below, is view #2 of "First Season Promise" cast in bronze.

First Season Promise
11"H 15"W 9"D

The next steps which involve casting the sculpture in bronze at the foundry will be discussed in a future blog.



Go to the BLOG INDEX on the right for more information.

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

#608 In the foundry: Patina, con't . . .

Please see the previous post and for a more in-depth discussion about patina application and 

patina recipes, go to blog #391, posted Feb.13, 2013 through blog #401, posted March 3, 2013.

The color of a bronze sculpture is called a patina and the artist's color choice can

 greatly enhance the overall emotional effect and presence of the work.

Below, are two totally different patinas used on a recent head study of an owl which demonstrates the power of color:

The cool cupric nitrate blue-green used on the first image suggests the nocturnal nature of the species while 

the warm ferric nitrate chemical used on the second image implies the bird's natural color. . .

 each one delivers a different sentiment yet the sculpture is the same!

Shown below, is the owl head sculpture being heated with a propane torch in the foundry.

The patina technician then applies ferric nitrate to the hot surface.  The more heat and chemical that is applied, 

the darker and richer the color. . . from a pale yellow to a rich orange-brown to a very dark blackish-brown.
Note:  The darks in the negatives are achieved by first applying liver of sulfur, then scrubbing the surface
with a Scotch-brite pad . . . the highlighted positives are then heated and ferric is applied.

Below, is a photo taken last year at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrell's Inlet, South Carolina, and the clay study
 of a Great-horned Owl which was modeled while teaching a bird sculpture workshop in the museum's aviary.
Note:  Brookgreen Gardens boasts the largest and most important collection of American sculpture in existence.
http://www.brookgreen.org

Go to the BLOG INDEX on the right for more information.

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

#607 In the foundry: Patina

The color of a bronze sculpture is called a patina.  Color has a profound effect on the sculpture's final appearance
and the impression it makes on the viewer.  The patina color choice can enhance or detract from the emotional effect
 and overall presence of the artist's work.  Typically, patinas are applied in the foundry with various chemicals.

Below, are images of three recent fragment works showing two different patinas on each design.
 For a more in-depth discussion about patinas and patina application and recipes, please go to

blog #391, posted Feb. 13, 2013 through blog #401, posted March 3, 2013.

Blog #391     . . .    click on this link, then click newer posts.



The first photo depicts "Setter II" with a greenish "old-world" cupric nitrate patina.
Bronze is over 95% copper and cupric imparts a time-honored look . . . similar to an old copper penny.

The photo below is of "Setter II" with a ferric nitrate patina . . . similar to a new copper penny.

The image below is of "Setter IV" with a cupric nitrate patina.

The image below is of "Setter IV" with a ferric nitrate patina.

The image below is of "Setter II" with a cupric nitrate patina.

The image below is of "Setter II" with a ferric nitrate patina.

Go to the BLOG INDEX on the right for more information.

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