Chichester Art Trail – Day 1

Chichester Art Trail – Day 1

July 10th/11th and July 17th/18th
2021

Welcome to the Chichester Art Trail – Day 1!

I’m excited to be joining 124 other local artists who are all opening their studios to the public this weekend and next to form the Chichester Art Trail.

We’re open from 10:30 until 5:30 and there’s a full catalogue available.  Parking on site.  COVID-safe.  Easy access.  Wheelchair-friendly and all are welcome!

I hope to see you here!

At my studios, you can also see the wonderful and amazingly varied work of Lauren Alderslade, Artist-in-Residence and illustrator of The Bowdleflodes story books.

Two artists on the same site!

Original sculpture being enlarged
Wax models ready for moulding in the workshop
…but there are sculptures in sight!

…but there are sculptures in sight!

with apologies to Samuel Taylor Coleridge!
 

As I said last week, work continues apace in the studios and there’s masses of it!

Here is one of the originals from the Gibran Sculpture Series – The Prophet called ‘Speak to us of Crime and Punishment‘.  It’s a small bronze maquette, resting on a work stand.  Next to it, there is a pantograph, which is set up to be a mechanical magnifier.  The enlarger uses the pantograph to faithfully reproduce the sculpture, in an enlarged size.  He makes the new, enlarged sculpture in clay and then makes a mould from it.  Eventually, after a few more processes, bronze is poured into a mould and that’s the beginning of the finished sculpture!

Original sculpture being enlarged

Here is ‘Speak to us of Crime and Punishment’ from the Gibran Sculpture Series – ‘The Prophet’.  In front of it is the pantograph tool used to create the enlarged version.

Wax models ready for moulding in the workshop

Here is the freshly-delivered, modelling clay.  It’s very heavy so it comes on small pallets.  It is wrapped in polythene to keep it moist and workable.  Once it dries it hardens and becomes unusable.

As I said, there are many steps involved to get an original, small, wax sculpture to a finished, full-size work of art.  I’ll show you all the steps as we go along…

Work, work everywhere…

Work, work everywhere…

…but not a sculpture in sight! 

with apologies to Samuel Taylor Coleridge!
 

Work continues apace in the studios.  There’s a massive amount of work going on.  If you have been following this blog, you will know just how much work is involved to get from an original clay sculpture to a finished bronze casting.  Of course, you can’t pour a casting until you have a mould and here are some moulds ready to go to the foundry for casting.

A collection of casting moulds on a workbench in the workshop.

Lined up on the bench are moulds from the Gibran Sculpture Series – ‘The Prophet’.  ‘Hands in Prayer’; ‘The Prophet’ (the book being held) and ‘Speak to us of Self Knowledge’.  Alongside them are the moulds for ‘8 Months’ and the Brancusi inspired ‘Egghead’.

Wax models ready for moulding in the workshop

Nearest to us are the original wax models, waiting their turn to be enlarged.  Further away on the lower bench, are finished moulds.  Next, they will go to the foundry to be used for casting.

With Neil at the helm…

With Neil at the helm…

…there’s always new life at Graingers! 

Surprisingly (to the rest of us) there’s no new sculpture this week at Graingers!  Neil has instead been enjoying the sun, the spring and the garden!

Neil sitting on a bicycle at rest, leaning up against a 4m high Speak to us of Freedom

Neil, in the garden, leaning up against a 4m tall ‘Speak to us of Freedom’

Spring growth in the giant tree fern in the Graingers garden

New growth from one of his treasured giant tree ferns in the garden

Come Rain, Come Shine

Come Rain, Come Shine

… at The Studio 

Clay model ofa pregnant woman, seen from behind.

A lovely, sunny, spring day…

Speak to us of Love - 2

And almost immediately… …the shower clouds appear!

Speak to us of Love - 2

Sculpture abounds in the grounds of The Studio.

Love in the Park – new work

Love in the Park – new work

Speak to us of Love – 2 

Gibran Sculpture Series

Clay model ofa pregnant woman, seen from behind.

 Love in the Park – work-in-progress 

I’m excited about this new work which I have called ‘Love in the Park – Speak to us of Love 2‘.  It has a very similar feel to the original ‘Speak to us of Love’ (also known as The Kiss).  This new sculpture, I created in April 2021.  It has a tenderness which emanates even from this early wax model.

Speak to us of Love - 2

It will be cast as two separate figures.  When they have been cleaned up after casting, they will be moved into position to allow them to be joined.  The arms will be welded on separately and individually to allow the close positioning embrace to emerge.

Speak to us of Love - 2

Once I have finished the details in the wax, the sculpture will be cast in bronze.  At that point it will be available to order in advance.  Sadly it won’t be a finished work of art before early autumn 2021 though.  The fine art bronze foundries, all have huge waiting lists and are trying to catch up following severely reduced production during the pandemic.

Speak to us of Love 2 - Back View
Speak to us of Love - 2

Work in Progress!  Speak to us of Love – 2 or Love in the Park, in the original wax

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