Cathy Erdmann's Art

Fire Hose Fittings for Blaze's Sculpture

This morning I delivered the fire hose fittings from North Kitsap Fire and Rescue, to the foundry.

The fittings are put into the crucible and melted down with the rest of the bronze.  This took only a few minutes.  The temperature in the room registered 105 degrees and I was told by the foundry workers, who were pouring the metal, that it can get up to 150 degrees in the suits they wear.  A very hot place!

The metal is poured into the molds and the fittings are now a permanent part of Blaze's sculpture.

Blaze's Sculpture in the Wax Room

Blaze's sculpture has gone through the mold making process and is now in the wax room.  The mold is heated before the hot wax is poured into it.

Approximately three layers of wax will be poured into the mold to achieve the desired thickness.

Here you can see all three pieces of the mold for this sculpture.

When pouring wax into small crevices, such as the words in Blaze's story, there is a bigger chance of troublesome air bubbles.  The iron in the photo below will help alleviate that problem.

Life Sized Fireman Sculpture

Just recently, I began work on the life sized fireman that will be placed in front of the new Springville Fire Station.  Here you can see a glimpse of what lies under the clay . . . I know he looks like he has an enormously large head, but part of that is the helmet armature.  I can't wait to get it a little further along, especially the helmet, so my friends will quit making fun of me!

Blaze's Sculpture Headed for the Foundry

I always get so attached to the sculptures I work on, it's hard to see them go.  That's the way it is with Blaze.  Fortunately, I have the foundry progress to look forward to, especially the patina stage, where Blaze will get his dalmation spots.  I'll keep you updated with a few photos!

85th Annual Spring Salon

Today I visited the 85th Annual Spring Salon at the Springville Museum of Art.  I was there to photograph my sculpture "Fish Tales", that was juried into the exhibit last month, and what a pleasant surprise to find that it has sold!  If you live in or near Springville, now is a great time to stop in and see some fantastic artwork.  There's something for everyone, whether you prefer traditional or modern art.

Working on Blaze's Sculpture

My friend, Susan, who is also a very talented dog groomer, spent a couple of hours in my studio last week.  We talked about some of the finer points of dog anatomy and what gives a dog it's expression.  Even though she works mainly with hairy dogs that need a trim, she was very helpful in her critic.  We had fun and Blaze's sculpture is getting closer to be completed!

 

A Patina for Hayden's Monument

After a clay sculpture has gone through the process of bronze casting the final step is the patina.  The patina is what gives the sculpture it's color.

Notice the top of the legs and the shorts, that is the color of bronze after it has been cast, welded, and sandblasted.  David, who is doing the patina, is spraying on a chemical called potash.  He will coat the sculpture until it turns very dark.

You can see how dark the sculpture turns after coating it with the potash.  In this photo the potash is being sanded off with an electric grinder.

After sanding off as much of the potash as possible with the grinder, the remainder is sanded off by hand.  The potash is left in the crevices of the sculpture and this helps give the sculpture dimension.

Now the sculpture is heated with the torch and made ready for the next step.

Ferric, another chemical, is now sprayed on the sculpture and this is what give's it a classic bronze patina or color.  Next it will be lacquered, waxed, buffed, and the process is complete.

It has been such a pleasure to be a part of Hayden's memorial and help to provide a lasting memory and tribute to him.  A special thanks to Hayden's family.

Changes to Blaze's Face

After input from North Kitsap Fire and Rescue, the following changes have been made in Blaze's face; shortened the ears, thinned out the ears, and made sure that his nose was not too level across the top.  Still working on his mouth and neck wrinkles.  The text and logo for the sculpture should be here on Wednesday and I'm looking forward to that!

 

Blaze's Sculpture - Little Changes

Still making little changes to Blaze.  Changed back leg, front leg, angle of collar, and broadened chest.  I love working with clay!

Blaze's Sculpture Progress

The paper logo and story currently attached to Blaze's sculpture is soon to be replaced with polymer molds that have been ordered from Metal Arts Foundry in Lehi, Utah.  The story will be enlarged to cover the space on the right of Blaze.  Tomorrow I'll be working on paws.