Searching for Bronze animal statues shopping? Bronze statues are perfect for a special gift occasion or if you want to infuse some art in to your home. At the foundry, the wax Desk Buddies have solid wax channels (called sprues and gates) attached through which molten bronze will flow. The wax Buddies are dipped repeatedly in a fluid ceramic material. This creates a thick, hard shell that will be tough enough to take the molten bronze.
I find that even collectors of bronze can be unclear about how editions work. Here I’ll pull back the curtain on the bronze industry a little and give you some key vocabulary to understand what you’re seeing here and at other sculpture sites. You’ll find a nice video on the process of how bronze sculptures are made right here, so I won’t get into that again. Early on in the process I decide how large an edition will be, in other words how many of a particular design will be created before the mold is destroyed. This is the whole idea behind limited-edition bronzes. Artist’s Proofs — Artist proofs are typically kept around by sculptors to compare to each member of the edition as they are produced to make sure the chasing, patina, etc. all look right. Artists proofs may or may not be made available to the public. There is also no hard and fast rule about how many artist’s proofs might get made for an edition, but typically it can be up to a 10th of the edition size. So, should I be so inclined, there might eventually be four artists proofs of 13” Doxie Bump. These will be numbered on each “AP 1,” “AP 2,” and so on. Foundry Proofs — Similar to artist’s proofs, foundry proofs are used at full-service foundries to serve as reference tools at each stage of production. There would be a wax foundry proof to help the wax chaser recreate what the finished piece should look like. There will also be a chased metal foundry proof to provide guidance to the metal chaser who’s grinding and welding the raw metal. Lastly, there would be a patina foundry proof to guide the patineur in applying the correct final coloration. Discover extra info at Bronze sculpture.
Trick for getting bronze art valued: Know what you’re looking at. Beyond finding the artist, learning about the types of bronze casts will help as well. There are four major types of bronze sculpture casts: original casts, recasts, replica casts, and after casts. An original cast is exactly as it sounds. It’s the original from the artist. A recast is made from the original mold usually after the artist has passed away. A replica cast is a copy of the original bronze sculpture made by someone other than the artist. And last, an after cast is made from a mold taken from an original bronze sculpture.
Bronze statues maintenance: The best cleaning solution to use for your cleaning your outdoor bronze sculpture is (drumroll please) … soap and water. That’s right: just use a tiny bit of dish soap in a clean bucket with a clean rag. Don’t use too much soap or else it may leave a residue. You’ll want to avoid any bleach-based products or scented options. Dip a clean rag into your soapy water and get to wiping. If your outdoor bronze sculpture has numerous tight spaces, use a soft toothbrush. This toothbrush can also be helpful for getting the hard-to-remove debris off such as bird poop.
My wonderful Desk Buddies series are a more accessible part of my collection. They are intended to capture the spirit and energy of my larger limited edition pieces, all while fitting into any setting in your home or office. These pieces are perfect for offices, living rooms, bedrooms, and more, and make a wonderful gift for both seasoned bronze collectors as well as those who are just starting to grow their collections. Visit: Bronze Animal Sculptures.
About Laurel Peterson Gregory : After I sculpt an animal in wax or oil-based clay, traditional lost-wax casting processes immortalize the design in bronze. One aspect of particular interest to me, and one for which I plan early in the sculpting phase, is the complex and rich patinas that constitute another hallmark of my limited-edition sculptures. Multiple layers of chemicals and oxides are applied to the heated bronze to achieve a range of unique effects, both translucent and opaque, that complement each design.
