Rolling Bliss (Limited Edition #3 of 10)

6″ x 18″ x 10″  Bronze

My equine sculptures focus on capturing the life, energy, and personality of the horses I am reflecting.  Each is designed to convey a spontaneous candid moment and depict a natural posture vs. posed.  The “gesture” of each horse is captured in a moment of time and is inspired by my imaginary environmental context which guides me as I work.

I create limited editions of my bronze sculptures since I create the originals in oil-based clay which is not the end product.  When the clay version is ready, I work with the foundry to create a plaster and silicone mold from the clay.  This mold is used to produce a wax version from which the bronze version is derived through the lost wax process.  Once cast, the sculpture is finished with a patina which fuses liquid chemicals and pigments with the metal using heat to create the color.  The sculpture is then sealed to finish and then mounted on its base for presentation.  This process of creating a wax version and using the lost wax process to create the finished bronze is repeated to create each edition of the sculpture.   The mold is destroyed when the last of the edition is cast.

My bronze editions are based on either a commissioned portrait or on a compilation of memories and ideas straight out of my head based on riding, having, and loving horses of my own.

“Rolling Bliss”  is an example of the latter.  The sheer joy of the horses as they scratch their backs in this way always makes me smile.   This horse came 100% out of my imagination, I see characteristics of several of my equine family members, so it is a composite of horses I know and love.  This sculpture highlights how the composition matters in all three dimensions through the use of flowing curves and angles to guide the viewers eye, no matter the angle.

This #3 edition of “Rolling Bliss” is my favorite patina so far!  Potash was used first to create the dark tones over the entire sculpture, then Silver Nitrate was used to create the dappled grey effect!  GORGEOUS!  I love how the random drops of silver nitrate create the variety of tones and patterns over the surface, suggesting the dapples while retaining the “artistic” sense by not being photo-realistic.   I prefer to mount this sculpture on the rectangular base as a counterpoint for all of the curving lines and movement of the sculpture.