"Metamorphosis"

I had started a series of bronze castings the previous Summer with one piece that was labeled "Aetas Novo," which is Latin for "an age to make anew." My goal for this series was to depict the process of change in a tangible form. I have always been fascinated by the human response to change and how some people have such a resistance to change. I enjoy creating abstract forms that relate to the various restrictions that one might have when trying to undergo change and how these restrictions can be broken down and overcome. The images here show my process in creating the second piece to this series. It is called "Metamorphosis" and is designed to depict the transformation one goes through during change. It serves as a transition piece from my first sculpture that is quite flat and static, and the next piece that is to come, which is very organic and

conveys movement.

 The images here depict my process during the creation of this piece. Bronze casting is a very complex process that takes weeks to complete and there is much room for error. It is also a very fulfilling process that is highly rewarding when successfully completed. Listed below are a quick summary of the steps taken during bronze casting, to allow you to better understand the pictures you see here:

Bronze Casting:

1. First the object or form is constructed from clay.
2. A mold is made from the object, typically out of rubber.
3. Casting wax is poured into the rubber mold and allowed to harden. The wax object is removed from the mold.
4. A sprue system is built out of wax and attached to the piece to serve as a funnel or outlet for the bronze to be poured into it.
5. The piece is dipped into several coats of this slurry/salt mix to build a shell around it.
6. After this dries, the piece is put into a large oven and heated up to about 1200 degrees while the bronze is being melted to about 2500 degrees.
7. The bronze is poured into the shell. Everything that
was wax will be replaced by the bronze. This is called the
lost wax method.
8. Next, the piece is busted out of the shell using various
tools such as a chisel, hammer or mallet.
9. The sprue system is cut off of the piece using a sawzall
and grinded down using a handheld grinder.
10. Then, the piece is treated with various acids if desired
to achieve a patina.





Finished Piece:

This is the piece before it undergoes the patina.