How is it made?
Finding the object...I often collect bones, skulls and insects wherever i go. Quite a lot of the natural objects i find are from beaches or woods in cornwall. People often bring me things they have found, my collection is growing quickly.
All of the 'dead things' died of natural or unavoidable causes. |
Sketches...When i find something particularly fascinating, or i want to work through the idea, i create scientific-like drawings and illustrations. This helps me study the intricate detail i want to capture in my final piece.
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Mould making...I select the items and make cold silicone moulds of them. Mould making can be difficult especially when forms are detailed, Throughout university i perfected my mould making skills so i could push the process to the limits and obtain very high amounts of intricate detail. When the silicone has cured, i have to cut and remove the forms very carefully. Round objects such as shells can be easier, but skulls with eye sockets can be tricky to remove and retain the moulds detail.
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Wax injection & carving..Using the silicone moulds i create these forms by injecting hot machine wax (a type of wax that is particularly strong and can pick up fine detail) into each mould at a high pressure. As the wax cools it holds the forms and i can carefully remove them from the mould. I then perfect the wax models by carving off any excess and repairing any unwanted holes.
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Lost wax investment casting...fThis is the tricky bit- The waxes are 'sprued up' on something we call a tree, basically a wax rod with several waxes stuck to it. I then cover it with special investment plaster under vacuum and wait for it to set. Next the mould goes into a kiln at 650°C- the wax burns out leaving a cavity. Then the mould goes into the caster, i melt the metal and heat it to 1040°C (depending on metal) then pour into the mould. The metal goes into the mould under a vacuum to obtain all the detail.
After waiting for the metal to cool a bit i plunge the mould into a vat of water and the plaster EXPLODES off (fun!) leaving the metal. |
Traditional silver smithing, soldering, enamelling/stone setting…. Finishing touches!
I remove the cast pieces from the sprue, file them and attach them to rings or other pieces. I then polish the surface (where possible) of the piece to a high shine whilst still keeping the intricate and irregular jagged detail. Sometimes i set stones into pieces or add enamel for that final alluring touch.
Because the process takes such a long time i become very attached to each piece i produce, i know the tiny differences between each cast. Each item has its own story tied to the events that lead me to find the original object and the reason i picked it as one of my special cast pieces.
I love to see others treasure them as i do.
Because the process takes such a long time i become very attached to each piece i produce, i know the tiny differences between each cast. Each item has its own story tied to the events that lead me to find the original object and the reason i picked it as one of my special cast pieces.
I love to see others treasure them as i do.