I was recently asked if I could make something in bronze for a wedding anniversary.
The only stipulation was that since the couple has children with the nick-names of chicken and mouse, that it feature a chicken and a mouse, and that I find a way to incorporate a certain poem.
I didn't have long at all to get it done, so I suggested a bas relief plaque since that would entail the least possible number of complications, yet still give me plenty of scope to come up with an attractive design.
Plus, I really like doing bas reliefs for some reason.
He was fine with whatever I thought would look good and left me up to my own devices.
Perfect, that's how I like it!
I tried a few things out and was liking this sort of thing...
 |
| Chicken and Mouse design for a bronze anniversary plaque |
So next up, using the method for bas relief sculpture I've described before, I made the clay and hardboard original, leaving space for the poem...
If you are curious to see the whole bas relief process and tips for achieving a convincing effect of roundness in about 1/8" of vertical space, type 'bas relief' into the 'search this blog' bar (top left of the screen I think) for several step-by-step demonstrations.
I find that sculpey comes in handy for eyes since you can bake it hard and sculpt around it.
 |
| Chicken and Mouse bas relief plaque original clay detail |
 |
| Chicken and Mouse bas relief plaque original clay detail |
 |
| Chicken and Mouse bas relief plaque original clay detail |
 |
| Chicken and Mouse bas relief plaque original clay |
 |
| Chicken and Mouse bas relief plaque original clay detail |
Next up, Lee, my trusty mold and wax man (sounds like a funny sort of man, doesn't it!) got busy doing his thing...
 |
| Here's the rubber mold. Certainly one of Lee's easier jobs mold making jobs! |
 |
| The inside of the mold from which a wax plaque will be taken... |
 |
| Chicken and Mouse plaque in wax (detail) |
 |
| Tracing down the lettering... |
 |
| Makes it *much* easier to do the lettering if you can see it clearly! |
 |
| Hand lettered wax, ready for delivery to the foundry... | | | |
I'll show the rest of the process in my next post...
