Silent Words #7
by Lloyd Whannell
I’ve been working on several series of tall slender figures with limited edition bronze heads on various one of a kind stone bodies, and enjoying the effect of combining different materials. I’ve noticed a number of fellow sculptors combining stone with metal, glass, bronze, and wood, with wonderful results.
This last winter I started carving a piece of Texas limestone for another bronze and stone figure, only to find that the stone had a large, ugly, soft void running thru it that ruined the piece for me. I almost threw it out, but I had so much time already invested that I decided to try and save it.
Timing is the wonder of wonders. Since I was also working on some encaustic pieces for the first time, and always willing to experiment for a good cause, I tried coloring the stone with epoxy pigments thinned with denatured alcohol to cover up the ugly area. Then, I covered those areas with bee's wax to fill the voids and mellow the colorings. A little color, a little wax, back and forth, and I had a new sculpture. I was very happy with the end results and plan to continue the experiment on other pieces.
Timing is the wonder of wonders. Since I was also working on some encaustic pieces for the first time, and always willing to experiment for a good cause, I tried coloring the stone with epoxy pigments thinned with denatured alcohol to cover up the ugly area. Then, I covered those areas with bee's wax to fill the voids and mellow the colorings. A little color, a little wax, back and forth, and I had a new sculpture. I was very happy with the end results and plan to continue the experiment on other pieces.
The wax has a melting point of 140º f so it should hold up outdoors, but I'll wait for my test pieces to go thru a full year before risking the sculpture. I like experimenting - but with a little caution on the side.
I encourage everyone to try something new. Maybe it's been done before, maybe not, but if you haven't done it, it's new for you, and you never know what will happen till you try.
