In The studio

Lost Wax Bronze Process
The "lost wax" method of casting dates back thousands of years to ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. It is still the best method for capturing exquisite detail in bronze.
The first step, and most important, is to create a clay original model of the sculpture to be made into bronze. All the detail and features that the artist wants in the finished piece must appear on the clay model.
A rubber mold is then made. Care must be taken to capture the smallest of detail. Depending on the size of the sculpture, the mold is then cut into sections for casting.
[Image] Molten wax is then poured into the rigid mold. It is poured in layers to the thickness desired in the finished piece. This wax model is an exact duplicate of the original casting.
[Image] "Gates" or channels, made up of wax rods, are added to the model to insure an evenly distributed casting of the metal.
Bubbles from the pour of the wax are filled to make it look just like the original clay.
[Image] The wax is then coated several times with a slurry then coated in sand to build up a shell around the wax model.
The wax is then melted out, and bronze is poured in to replace the wax; thus, the lost wax part of the process. The metal then cools and hardens, forming an identical sculpture in bronze.
The bronze is being poured at about
2000 degrees

[Image] The piece is then finished by hand. The gates must be cut off. The parts are welded together and much grinding, polishing and buffing must be done.
[Image] The last step is the patina. This is a process of controlling the different chemicals and paints, using a torch to get the desired colors and shades.
Patina

What I'm Working on

Thomas

The story in the New Testament of the Apostle Thomas (Doubting Thomas) is one of my favorite in all the scriptures; there is so much we can learn from it. It is such a powerful moment when the apostle wants to believe but just can't. I can only imagine how hard it must have been in those last days of the Saviors mortal life and seeing all he went through, and what they the apostles must have gone through.

This sculpture is showing that moment when the Resurrected Jesus Christ appears to the apostles and tells doubting Thomas to come and feel the prints in his hands and side. I am focusing on just the hands, for a few reasons, one it makes your mind do some work with filling in the rest of the scene. It also keeps the distractions of the rest of the scene out so you can think about what it is he that’s happening.

When I finish this piece I will have Thomas hands looking old and worked, like an old farmer’s hands. Not because I think his hands would have been that way but to represent the spiritual state Thomas was at. He still had the desire to believe but until he saw he just couldn’t.

Justin W Taylor

Fine Bronze Art