Infinity
This is my first experience with the traditional lost-wax process, and I'm still getting to grips with all the possibilities this method offers. I want to explore it further. Working with warm, gooey, sticky wax to create an initial form was both challenging and rewarding. Since all my work is handmade, this messy approach aligns well with my ethos. The beauty of working with wax is that if something turns out poorly or you don't like it, you can either try to fix it or simply return it to the melting pot for reuse later. After my piece returned from the foundry, I applied a patina using heat and a sulphide solution to darken the bronze, especially at the base, as my intention was always to highly polish the top. The dimensions of the piece are approximately 54 cm high, 26 cm wide, and 15 cm deep.
Coloured Gum Leaf
I enjoy experimenting with different materials, and recently, I drew inspiration from a gum leaf I found in my neighbourhood to create a piece using TIG welding with silicon bronze welding rods. The leaf has a lot of character, featuring irregular bits missing and a curled, crinkled shape. As with many of my works, I enjoy exploring contrasts, such as rough versus smooth or shiny versus matte. For this project, I polished the leaf's tip. During the welding process, I was captivated by the beautiful colours produced by the heat. Ultimately, I heated the tip until I achieved stunning, rainbow-hued colours. Since bronze can tarnish over time, a standard method to prevent this is to rub wax into the warmed metal. Ironically, while this process helps to prevent tarnishing, it also dulls the vibrant rainbow colours. As a result, the colours are still visible but appear much more subdued than they did immediately after the final heating. (Welded silicon bronze on a mild steel base - approximately 26 cm high x 36cm wide x 10cm deep)
