Cathy Erdmann's Art

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.

Hayden's Sculpture in the Wax Room

Now that the mold is completed for Hayden's sculpture, it's time for the wax room.  This is David, one of the many craftsmen who will handle this sculpture as it makes it's way through the foundry.  Wax is poured into the mold and back out again, until the desired thickness is achieved.

The Plaster Mother Mold

Today I went to visit Sam while he worked on the plaster mother mold for Hayden's sculpture.  Our conversation was all about sausages and patties and buttons and tabs.  I'll explain as you scroll through the following photos.

Buttons and tabs are what hold the mold together and keep it from distorting or shifting when the wax is poured.  The button on the left recesses into the plaster and the tab on the right will house a bolt.

The mother mold is made from plaster and hemp (old mariners rope).  Sam is making the sausage that will go around the outer rim of the rubber mold.

The sausage goes around the rim and the patties go in the middle.  I know it may sound funny, but it describes the process very well.

Mold making is an art that requires a technical knowledge of the casting process as a whole.  Decisions regarding where to place seams, how many cuts to make, materials, etc. go into making a mold that will last many years and go through multiple castings.

Hayden's mold is nearly finished and then on to the wax room.  Sam has done a wonderful job!

Hayden's Monument at the Mold Maker

It's exciting to see Hayden's sculpture progressing along at the mold maker!  This is Sam and he works the magic of seeing to it that the clay is reproduced exactly as he receives it.  Several coats of blue silicon rubber will be applied to the sculpture over the next week.

This sculpture will be divided into five different molds in order to allow for the casting process.  The rings you see around the ankles mark two of those sections.

Clay is Completed

Hayden's monument in clay is completed!  It has been a delight to work on this sculpture and it's with mixed feelings that I surrender it to the foundry for casting.

Getting Closer

Hayden's sculpture is getting closer to being completed.  After working with the hair a little bit more, it was decided to brush it back a little on the sides, instead of pulling it forward.  Each very small detail is taking me closer to being finished and happier with the results.

Clay Shoelaces

Today I've been working on Hayden's shoes and adding shoelaces.  My first thought was to buy some shoelaces and cover them with clay, but I ended up just making a simple clay snake and constructing the laces that way.

Hands

Most of Hayden's sculpture has been done from photos, but occasionally I have a young boy about his size come and model for me.  I had my model over to work on hands and arms a few days ago and discovered the fingers were a bit short, actually about 1/2", which is quite a lot.  The length of the fingers has been changed in this photo.

A Few Words of Gratitude

This week I had the pleasure of welcoming Hayden's family into my studio.  We were able to work together to make changes that provided a closer likeness to Hayden's character.  Although there is still work to do on the arms and hands, these photos show Hayden's face completed.

 

Adding Clay

So far approximately 100 lbs of clay have been added to Hayden's sculpture.  Here's an update of the latest pictures in progress.