Ken Morrison Fine Art The Lost Wax Process

The Lost Wax Process The process by which a clay figure becomes a finished bronze sculpture is an ancient technique called the "lost wax" casting process.  After the clay figure looks exactly the way the artist wants it to look, the piece is sliced up into segments.  Rubber molds are made of these clay pieces, then wax is poured into the rubber molds.  The duplicate or "twin" wax segments are then assembled into one piece, and this new wax sculpture is perfected, or "chased," with heated tools.  (Sometimes dental tools are used.) Next, the services of a foundry are necessary.  The new wax "twin" sculpture is sliced up, and these wax segments are dipped several times into a ceramic slurry.  Eventually a ceramic mold forms around each piece.  The dipping process takes several days.  Later, the ceramic mold is heated (which hardens it), and the wax is melted out.  Hence the phrase, "lost wax." Then, molten bronze at 2000 degrees Fahrenheit is poured into the ceramic molds.  After the bronze has cooled and hardened, the ceramic molds are broken away from the bronze.  Later, the bronze pieces are welded together and "chased" again - this time the imperfections are buffed away with electric grinding tools. The patina process is last.  Here, chemicals are applied to the metal and the reaction produces various colors and effects.  (This is an art unto itself, as is moldmaking, and there are professionals who do only these processes.) Ken is involved in every step of the process.  He often makes his own molds and wax duplicates.  He does his own chasing, as most sculptors do, and often applies the patinas himself. Producing a bronze sculpture is an expensive process.  This is why many sculptors offer what is called a "pre-cast" price.  This lower price offers the buyer a discount in return for a down payment, which allows the sculptor to begin the lost wax process at the foundry. Before the first sculpture in an edition is cast, the artist decides how many castings he will eventually make of the piece.  An artist rarely casts all of the pieces of an edition at the same time.  The castings are made one at a time, and marked clearly on the bronze "1/15," for example.  That's casting number one of fifteen castings, after which the mold will be broken (another coined phrase).  This one-at-a-time process sometimes gives a buyer his choice of patinas. Bronze sculptures not only enhance a home, they make exciting heirlooms.  The legendary sculptors used this same lost-wax process, and their work is with us today. The next time you are shopping for a loved one or yourself, think of a sculpture.  A bronze is a thrilling gift whose quality resonates for generations.

"Munching Moose" in clay.

"Munching Moose" as a finished bronze.

Ken Morrison's Blue Fly Gallery Art with an Idaho Perspective P.O. Box 329 Tetonia, ID 83452-0329 (208) 456-0900 bluefly@tetontel.com www.kenmorrisonfineart.com

This page was last updated on: February 3, 2006