WIP sculpture (mixed media)

[Andy Mac]

Hi there,
I thought I'd drag some of you along for the ride on a sculpture I'm working on. It's for the local competition (Crows Nest) held every 2 yrs, and last time I scored a highly commended for a wood carving.:D
This one came about from an offcut I salvaged from the bin after a carving class I was teaching. It's from Monterey cypress (C. macrocarpa) which I scored from Toowoomba City Council after a prune, and have had maturing for a number of years. Some spalting and a bit of dry rot too!
Here is the start, rough sawn on the bandsaw, about 250mm long...I had the original offcut sitting on my desk, waiting to talk to me:rolleyes: and have included a sketch I did to get me going, done BTW with the pencil that Cameron Potter turned for me!:)
Cheers,

[Andy Mac]

Hi again.
I cut out 7 roughly identical petals, and then flipped them on their sides to cut curves, but didn't do each the same. Some were flipped one way and some the other...if you know what I mean, as I don't want the finished item to be perfectly symmetrical.
I then hogged off the waste with the big linisher, using the roller "nose" at the front, before settling down to finishing the shapes.
I clamped them in one of my homemade carving vises, which allows good access all round and sits high above the bench.
If you know even a little woodwork, you'll see there are some serious weaknesses in the form, short grain, and yes I did have a couple of breakages in the vice!:o Nothing that Araldite or Superglue won't fix..
For this whole process I've only used rasps and files, no carving gouges...does that not make it a carving?!:p Mainly because the form isn't in relief, and an 8" half round bastard will get in everywhere I need. The macrocarpa is nice to work, but a bit gummy and has a tendency to clog the file, so cleaning it regularly. I have a tendency to work in all directions with a file, somethings with the grain, sometimes across, then cross hatching, or even circular strokes, and then draw filing like I would on metal. Whatever it takes to chase the form where I need it.
I have since spent several hours with sandpaper, working from 80 grit to 320, settling back with some Blues compilations and a beer!:D
Here's a shot of the vice work.

Cheers,

[Andy Mac]

I managed to get a bit of the metal work done last night and this morning. The first bit is the collar which the petals are attached to, about 50mm al. tube with 7 angle brackets rivetted to it. The pop rivets are 3/16" and the longest ones I could buy in Australia, have used them several times for texture. It helps to have a pneumatic pop rivet gun!!:D
The other piece is the first stage of the tail section, a tapered tube. Each segment will be joined to the previous with a rubber skirt, and as each will be angled, the resulting form will curve...hopefully.
Aside: As this particylar project has come about during a thread that Grunt started, about Chernobyl, which I have followed with mush interest, I have infused the piece with my thoughts about nuclear power...the whole seduction of technology and the way it can sometimes get out of the "master's" control. Consequently I have titled this work "Frankenstein Flower-Corpus chernobylii). Thanks, Grunt, for the inspiration!!:)

Cheers,

[Andy Mac]

Here is the roughly assembled piece so far. Only one petal is finished, that is, fine sanding and oil/wax. As each petal curves slightly differently, I will tune them later by bending each bracket to suit. Then they will all be closed in, so the resulting form is slightly cone-like.
I'm happy with the way the wood has come up, although it tends to look like our local cypress (Callitris) which is not my favourite! Its only redeeming feature is that termites don't like it, I dislike the smell and it has a hard, brittle feel when worked.
Anyway, I now have to turn a rim for the front of the collar, out of rosewood for a bit of contrast, then a bulb for the other side where the tail joins on, and keep working on the metal parts.
It needs to be completed by this Friday!:eek:

Cheers:D

[NewLou]

Gidday Andy:)

VEry VEry Cool ....................... am watching this one with interest. Thx ssssssssoooooooo much for showing your process of concept design through to creating the 'piece'


VEry nice indded can't wait to see the finished product!!!!

REGards Lou:D:D:D

[RufflyRustic]

Geez Andy, you've done a lot of work since, what, Thursday last week. I can't wait to see what p.. No, no pre-empting allowed just yet ;)

cheers
Wendy

[dan_tom]

Cool Andy! Thanks for posting progress shots. Can't wait to see more as it progresses!

Cheers
Dan

[Andy Mac]

Hi there,
I managed to get a bit of turning in today, got the rim done from a nice old bit of Rosewood and it turns nicely!:D I also did the bulb part behind the collar, out of macrocarpa, and it too turned very sweetly.
As I want a bit of a curve over the whole length I actually tried multi centred turning for the first time! It is an interesting experience which I'll need to follow through with, but sort of worked for what I need. Still had a lot of hand work to be done, blending in the different radii, and maybe was just as easy to not worry about the turning part?
Anyway, here is the result...

Cheers,

[Andy Mac]

I've just got in from the shed, a bit carried away with fitting the turned sections to the metal, then decided to extend the metal segments. 1 am and up for work in another 4-5hrs, I think I get obsessed!:p During that stint my heater had a melt down, so was a bit chilly when I left.
The aluminium is fairly soft, malleable stuff, recycled from a baking or griller tray out of an Op shop. I often work with this sort of material, mainly because its cheap, but its so nice to work instead of harder industrial grades. I rough the forms by hand and modified pliers, then with a planishing hammer over a home made stake before rivetting. I follow up with a buff to tone down the secondhand look, then final shape over the stake. The next segment will be tricky, as I want it long, tapered one end then flared at the other. A new stake might be in order.

'Night!

[zenwood]

This is inspiring stuff, Andy. I love the concept, and the mixture of wood and aluminium looks great. I appreciate the idea behind the title too.

What are the noodly bits inside the collar? Are they part of the rivets, or did you have to make them up? Either way, they look great.

[Harry72]

Certainly different, is it going to be free standing?

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Free standing? I hope not; it should be shackled to a BIG concrete block! :eek: My poor, poor Daisies are trembling in their pots, they are.

That's amazing work Andy... wish I had half your talent. [sigh]

[Andy Mac]

Thanks guys! I have made a bit more progress, but no photos yet. The aluminium tail is almost there, and really only the finial to do, with the off-cast gear. I did make a new stake, long and tapered, from a gearbox shaft and it worked well, so that was my lunchtime gone!
Zenwood, those noodles, as you so aptly described them, are indeed the rivet body. Being so long (30mm-ish) and the sheetmetal so thin, the leftover portion just does its own thing when "popped"...bending randomly as the tail is drawn through. I love that contrast of aluminium and wood together, like the early aero frames. A US guy called Michael Cooper did some amazing laminated wood constructions with handshaped aluminium elbows and joints, including an articulated road racer. There's one of his in storage at the Qld Art Gallery, which I organised to go and have a look at; and I saw another one of his at the SA state gallery in 1980, which was a trike-cum-revolver. Did you see that? AMAZING stuff.
Harry, I'm anticipating the whole thing will lay on a gallery plinth, propped up by the cone of petals and the tail extending over the plinth. The weight of the gear on the end should keep it stable.
And Skew, don't be so down on your own abilities, you're a better turner than me for a start! Have you tried multi-centred turnings before, any tips? I just apply a lot of half-learned skills to my own ends:rolleyes: .

Cheers,

[Harry II]

Corpus Chernobyl?
Is this about mutation Andy?

[Andy Mac]

Hi Harry!
Yes its about mutation, I have made many mutated versions of flowers, seedpods and insects etc. Usually combine aluminium with timber, so there's a sense of technology and organic.
The title plays with the Latin for body, corpus, obviously relating to deaths, but also the word used for seed, carpus, which I think means swelling and is familiar to many in names like Exocarpus and Macrocarpus. Many of my titles muck around with Latin: the way I see it many people don't really know it in any depth, but there is a Latin root to many English words, and we get the hint without knowing it.:D

Cheers,

[Andy Mac]

Alright, I have some more progress shots.
The sheetmetal work held me up a bit, and I'll include a shot despite the name "Carving" forum. The separate sections of this part are held togther with a long strip of metal and some of the rivets visible are inserted through the strip, as well as locate the rubber skirt. A very fiddly operation: the rivets are 3/32"; the strip distorted and dragged the sections out of line;the sections themselves didn't seam as well as they did before the strip was inserted...and the strip broke too:mad: .
The second shot is of the finial, which is a two piece turning, one to house the gear and a piece glued on to accept the last aluminium section. The body of it is macrocarpa, with a red cedar button to hold the gear in. I have tied it all together with a length of s/s fishing trace through the centres for added security, and the pieces of aluminium at each end are also pinned to their timber pieces with cut off sewing pins as nails.
I'm getting close!

Cheers,

[Andy Mac]

Phew, one week's work completed! Well, lunch and night times only, I haven't done much else!:o
Here is shot of the finished object. I'm reasonably happy with it:D ...just the usual maker's focus on details that didn't pan out as expected. The macrocarpa has been really nice to work with, turns beautifully and I can recommend it for carving and general shaping.
I have rushed the flower off for professional photography this afternoon, with uncured Araldite etc, as it goes into the competition/exhibition tomorrow, then who knows where it will end up!?

Cheers, and thanks for following my journey!:)

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

And it looks like you managed it with little (if any) deviation from the original sketch! :eek: Well done!! Looks very tactile... don't be surprised if it comes back covered in fingerprints. I know there'll be "Don't Touch" signs everywhere, but from experience 90% of people lose the ability to read as soon as they walk through an exhibitions' doors. :rolleyes:

I wish you well in the judging!

[Bodgy]

I reckon you've won, Andy!

[Harry II]

Hi Andy

Hope this reaches you as I'm not sure if I should have tacked on here. Your work certainly makes me believe you do a bit of thinking about things. The Nuclear thing has come back hasn't it, with all the heeby geebies it carrys. This old world is turning and swirling at the mo, more than alot of people know or care for in this material world. Risky business.
I reckon wood and metal can get on very well too. Because I can't weld, braze or shape metal as well as I would like to I have choosen copper and brass cause at least it's easy to work without too much trouble. Copper wire is a good friend and you can belt it around too. You probably utilise Aluminium much the same way. Have you thought about using glass, liked slumped or molded glass? Now glass and wood, woah, I would seek to learn about forming glass even before I learn to work metal better. Just thought, have a look at this, it may whet your smackers. Til next time Andy, keep on keeping on, kind regards Harry.
http://www.art.net/Studios/Sculptors/Stina/index.html

[Harry II]

"then who knows where it will end up!?"
Yeah, I know the feeling! Your giving a part of yourself away.

[Andy Mac]

Hi there!
Well, despite your support, and my own conviction that this was a good piece, I failed to get anywhere in the competition this year.:rolleyes: Bit of a let down, but I guess you've got to be in it to win it...
Being a small local event, I know the person that won, and even seen their piece in other exhibitions before, a little bronze casting. Good on her! There was some great stuff in the show, which I glimpsed quickly as I drove through Crows Nest on my way north for holidays.
Now I can get that piece of mine and send it somewhere else!!:)

Cheers,

[theycallmejoe]

Hi there!
Well, despite your support, and my own conviction that this was a good piece, I failed to get anywhere in the competition this year.:rolleyes: Bit of a let down, but I guess you've got to be in it to win it...
Being a small local event, I know the person that won, and even seen their piece in other exhibitions before, a little bronze casting. Good on her! There was some great stuff in the show, which I glimpsed quickly as I drove through Crows Nest on my way north for holidays.
Now I can get that piece of mine and send it somewhere else!!:)

Cheers,

Despite not winning Andy I think you have made a real nice peice. Look forward to seeing more pics of your work as time goes on. Cheers, Joe.