Creating sculpture is like any other creative venture for me. It is important for me to be at ease with the world and my surroundings. I am blessed with a peaceful environment that spurs my creative juices. It is usually the size of the project that dictates the specific area at which I sit and sculpt. I have designed my home and studio with a number of work spaces all with large windows providing inspiring views.
We all know that every bronze design starts with a piece of sculpture in some medium. However to reproduce a bronze it takes a wax copy. This is accomplished by molding the original sculpture in a rubber-like material and casting it in wax. We do this process here at our studio. This gives us the opportunity to insure that our waxes are poured and chased to our liking and also allows us to make subtle changes and to also create one of a kind pieces.
The waxes pictured here are waiting for shipment to the foundry.
Irena shown at left chasing waxes. Once a wax has been poured, the imperfections, such as air bubbles, thin spots cracks, etc need to be repaired. This is called chasing.
When our cast metal returns from the foundry, we first remove all sprues and imperfections. the parts are then welded together and seams chased.
Meet Joseph, our metal worker, he is the one who really makes us look good here at Savides Sculpture. He does all the assembly and gets the sculptures ready for patina.
The patina is the final stage of preparing the metal. It is generally accomplished by heating the metal and applying various chemicals. The outcome varies accordingly with the temperature of the metal and the method of chemical application. This process is a huge part of the art of a completed piece.
It is our goal to perform as many of the steps as possible when we create art in our studio. From molding to patina, the more that we accomplish in house, the more control we have over the finished piece. A piece of art has the opportunity to be degraded at each process and we try very hard to not let that happen.