Do I get nervous when I see my sculptures cut into many pieces for the mold making process? Not when they are in the skilled hands of mold maker, Ken Donnelly. Ken has been making molds for 33 years and has definitely mastered his art. This mold consists of 29 pieces and 240 pounds of rubber.
Yesterday the clay for the fireman sculpture was approved by several Springville firemen and today this sculpture will move into the hands of the mold maker. Over the next couple of months I'll be keeping you updated as it progresses through the foundry.
Last week a few of the Springville firemen visited the studio to see the progress on their commission. They suggested some additions to the helmet, which will pay tribute to their fire chief, Phil Whitney, who recently passed away.
Today the fireman who modeled for this sculpture came over to help with some technical advice. I find it essential to consult with a professional while working on a project like this.
The air tank has been covered with clay and next I'll add some tubing to connect the equipment that's stuck randomly on the uniform. The face is almost finished and I can't wait to add the chin strap.
A couple of days ago I had a visit from one of our local firemen who attached the air tank on the back of the fireman sculpture. In addition to metal tubing and lots of foam insulation, there are other things that can be added to a life sized sculpture and clayed over. I'm currently adding clay to the air tank so that I'll be able to incorporate the same type of texture over the sculpture as a whole.
