Searching after Bronze statues wedding gifts? Bronze statues are perfect for a special gift occasion or if you want to infuse some art in to your home. The shell-encased wax is turned upside down and placed in an oven. The wax is melted out, flowing out through the sprues. Hence “lost wax” process! Molten bronze is then poured into the now-empty shell. The sprues added earlier allow the bronze to flow to every part of each section. And then…?
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 more details at Bronze sculpture.
Tip for getting bronze art appraised: Do some research. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a certificate of authenticity. If you don’t have one, the first step to deciphering a value for your bronze sculpture is doing some old-fashioned research. The first step is finding the artist. Somewhere on your bronze sculpture, the creator of the piece will have left their initials, signature, trademark or emblem. With this information, you can look up the artist and search for similar pieces by them. This initial research can go a long way in getting an idea of the value of your bronze art.
Bronze statues cleaning: Now you can add wax and polish. One rule — no car wax! Often this will dry white, which looks terrible. It can also contain cleaning agents harmful to bronze. The best wax to use is simple, clear paste wax. Brands such as Trewax (for lighter colored sculptures) or Johnson’s (for darker colored sculptures) will work fine. Apply using a soft rag and give the sculpture a light coating. Let that dry and then apply one more coating. After that, you’re all done! You’ve now learned how to clean outdoor bronze sculptures! See? Not so bad. Stand back and admire your freshly cleaned and re-protected outdoor bronze sculpture.
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: www.laurelpetersongregory.com.
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.