Treasure Amidst Chaos
March 26, 2018
The Art of Decorating
March 26, 2018
Lost Wax Process:
Richard Stravitz uses the ancient lost wax process to create his magnificent bronze sculpture. An original artwork is created in clay, from which a plaster and silicone rubber mold is made. Molten wax is poured into the mold until the inner surface is covered with an even coating. This hollow wax copy is removed from the mold, dipped in a ceramic slurry then coated with a mixture of powdered clay and sand. The process is repeated as needed.
Once dried, the ceramic coated wax copy is placed in a kiln and the wax melts out, thus the “lost wax process.” All that remains of the original artwork is the negative space, formerly occupied by the wax.
As the wax is melted away, the bronze is being melted in a crucible in a hot furnace. Once the bronze reaches the correct temperature, it is poured into the ceramic shell.
The ceramic shell is removed from the cooled bronze casting. The bronze metal is worked on until the sculptures again look like the original artwork. A patina is applied followed by a wax coating.
