Sculpture Foundry & Courses

TOP LEFT: Click on link or picture for more information Award for Industry into europe

NEXT: a limeted edition Jersey Toad from the bronze cattle group sculpture.

BELOW MIDDLE: Portrait of Richard Bridgeman, 7th Earl of Bradford, Weston Park.

FAR LEFT: John D Sutton's Famine Wokhouse family group being seperated.

BELOW LEFT: Portrait bust of Sir Michael Spicer M.P.

MIDDLE PHOTO Spanish Fighting Bull.

Lost wax

CASTING THE BRONZE. The empty shells are now ready for bronze to be poured into the negative void where the wax positive was.They are usually heated prior to a pour, making sure there are no wax residues but also heating the mould itself. When the molten bronze is poured into a hotter mould it can search out more detail before it freezes. We use silicon bronze here as its flows well into detail when molten around 1100 degrees centigrade and needs no degassing.

FETTLING. When cool the shell is cracked open revealing the cast bronze with its sprue system attached. The sprues need to be cut off and the bronze cleaned, chased, bead blasted.

CHASING. This is the process of dressing the surface of the cast very carefully to conceal where the sprues might have been attached or any welded joints are. The bronze is worked with various tools that make similar marks to the sculptors finish that was on the original claywork so making a consistent surface finish. It is a skilful job to get an 'invisible' finish and being sculptors we are particulary aware of what is desired.

PATINATION. The process of applying a chemical to colour the bronze, assisting the development of the patina using heat. We like to lightly beadblast the finished sculpture to give the bronze a very slight 'tooth' giving a clean fresh exposed bronze surface. The patina's are compounds which when applied to the clean bronze chemically bond to the surface. The patina is protected by waxing the bronze.

Bronze Casting

A4A ART FOR ARCHITECTURE SCULPTURE FOUNDRY is based in Ayrshire Scotland. We cast bronze using the ceramic shell lost wax casting technique to cast sculptures, ranging in size to small awards, portrait busts to lifesize statues, see examples of work below, scroll down page. We also fabricate in sheet steel and sheet bronze, for example a 7m square fabricated bronze panel on board the Cunard liner - Queen Mary 2.

WHAT WE DO: We cast our own works here, aswell as the artworks of our associates but are very happy to cast your work to.You can bring a mould or a wax ready for us to work on here or we can visit your studio and take a mould from your work if you prefer. We have an on site visitors residence so you can stay over and involve yourself in the process as much as you wish in an easy going friendly working atmosphere, you may want to refine your wax prior to investing or patina your cast work in your own way. We can offer you an attention to detail and a pride in finishing your artworks to the highest quality, making your artwork the focus of our attention whilst its being made here. We have a great deal of experience (20 years) in fabricating and installing sculptural artworks and can provide that service to you. For details on our bronze casting courses CLICK HERE.

CERAMIC SHELL CASTING:The ceramic shell pocess is a highly precise technique of investment casting superceeding the traditional block investment 'ludo' casting that art foundries were using before. It is used by many commercial foundries making precision components. The nature of the process allows the sculpture to be cast with a more direct spruing system using far less runners and risers. This results in a cleaner casting with far less fettling, surface flash fins and chasing to be undertaken on the artwork. Making the sculpture finish a high quality but in a reduced timescale. You can find more details below.

CALL US to discuss your requirements, advice on progressing your artwork, commissioning a sculpture or send details via email if you would like a quote.

A4A Art for Architecture, High McGowanston Studio, Turnberry, Girvan, Ayrshire, Scotland KA26 9JT Tel 01655 332215 http://www.a4a.com

DETAILS: The A4A Art for Architecture studio foundry is based on a small farm on the beautiful SW coast of rural Scotland, over looking the Ailsa Craig Island. The studio foundry is owned and operated by John McKenna A.R.B.S, a professional public artist for over 20 years. Besides casting bronze sculptures we also run short duration courses in the sculpture casting technique.The courses have a MAXIMUM of x2 PERSONS/course, to enable a methodical learning experience, with much 'hands on' practical involvement in the bronze casting process. We keep the course numbers low to give each participant maximum tutor contact in what is a knowledge intensive process and keeping the learners the main focus of the course. If you book a course as a sole student, then for a supplement fee you can bring a friend or spouse to stay in the cottage with you and observe you or holiday. Further details on the bronze casting courses here.

BRONZE CASTING & CERAMIC SHELL TECHNIQUE

CLAY ORIGINAL POSITIVE, the sculpture original could be clay, plaster, wax, etc., it would normally have a flexible rubber mould impression taken from it. If its a larger artwork Clay parts of the sculpture maybe cut to facilitate the making of the mould. The mould has to have wax painted into it easily, so in several sections it can make this easier.The mould is a negative impression of the original artwork.

WAXWORKING, creating a sculpture pattern from wax, a wax 'positive'. This can be modelled directly but usually would be taken from a mould. The wax positive impression can be made by painting a layers of hot molten wax into the mould detail (far right picture) or slushing the wax into it. After each wax coat has cooled a further hot wax layer is applied, building up this thickness of the wax layer to approx 6mm. The mould might be made in sections for ease of handling, so there is often a need to assemble wax section parts, joining them together and working the surface back as the original clay. At this wax stage more detail can be added to the artwork by the artist if desired.

SPRUING before wax sculptures are ready for ceramic shell investment they need a series of sprue feeds and vents to attach to the wax. A pouring cup at the top of the sprues will be where bronze is poured into. These items are made from solid wax bars but when melted away (the lost wax bit) will become tube feeds will allow the molten bronze to flow into the mould. See middle pictures.The vents will allow air and gases to escape from the shell mould.

CERAMIC SHELL PROCESS. The sprue system and pouring cup are all fixed well to the wax sculptue as they often act as support to the wax when hanging from a hook. The wax structure is degreased so as the ceramic shell slurry penetrates into all the wax details of the sculpture and no air bubbles are propagated. The degreased wax is dipped into the ceramic slurry, a colloid mixed with refractory powder. The wax comes out of this liquid coated in the slurry, then a layer of stucco material is applied, molochite or similar. On the first layer a fine grade is dusted over the wax sculpture. This is then dried in a dehumidified room to remove moisture from the 'shell' layer to dry it thoroughly. The process is repeated and each time after dipping a larger mesh grade of stucco coating is applied, building up layers of the shell investment coating. It is important that all layers are dried before each subsequent dipping of the shell. When the shell has dried it is ready to be dewaxed.

LOST WAX BURNOUT, this is where the completed shell mould with encased wax sculpture pattern inside is heated in a kiln to burn out the wax. Hence the 'lost wax' process name. The kiln operates about 900 degrees C which burns all the wax and carbon residues out of the shell mould, leaving a clean white refractory mould. The shell being a 'space age' refractory material can withstand massive thermal shock and the 900 degree heat in the kiln bakes or hardens the shell into a ceramic shell. Now the wax is out of the ceramic shell, there is a negative void where once the wax was. So the wax sculpture positive and the solid wax sprue feeds and vents has gone, leaving hollow 'pipes' where the molten bronze will run through into the mould.

MORE ABOUT A4A Art for Architecture

John Mckenna leads the collaborative group 'Art for Architecture', an informal association of artists, designers and craftsmen who work together in a wide range of media on public art commissions. John's own work varies in scale from portraits and small private commissions, to large colossal works of public art.

SITE RESPONSIVE

The Artworks are usually site responsive, often drawing inspiration both from the immediate environment and the local history of individual areas. John will undertake the project with his own sculpture assistants or draw upon the bank of expertise within the a4a associates.

ORIGINS AND EXPERTISE

John studied art and design in London and in 1987 was awarded a three year bursary to study under the patronage of Dame Elizabeth Frink at the Sir Henry Doulton School of sculpture, in Staffordshire. He exhibited alongside Frink with other members of the Sir Henry Doulton School at Keele in a retrospective of her work. Since 1993, after several years of lecturing in sculpture, John has worked primarily on public art schemes throughout the UK, initiating his own concept or working to design briefs from architects, developers, councils, local authorities and public art agencies. He is a member of the Royal society of British Sculptors and has exhibited in London and various locations countrywide.

WHAT WE CAN DO for you

"Works of public art that we create, commissioned by local authorities, councils and corporate clients, aim to stimulate and inform observers. We at a4a can take an initial brief and develop a unique artwork for a public site, resolve the design to a feasible solution within timescales and to budget. We have extensive working experience of a variety of media and scales, including large cast bronzes and aluminium, glazed brick relief friezes, stone and cast stone, terracotta, fibreglass and welded steel. Our studio bronze foundry, using the ceramic shell technique allows us to lost wax cast our own bronze, maintaining a coninuity in the whole sculptural creation process from start to finish."

SMALLER ARTWORKS

John's smaller artworks such as portraits and figurative sculpture, achieve balance, sensitivity and quietude for the observer, often seeking to pacify the senses in an increasingly demanding environment. For his portrait works, the artist models in clay for casting into bronze, the use of which permits a more detailed and realistic manner of modelling. John's attention to detail is present in all aspects of his work: this combined with imaginative design, reveal a genuine interest, enthusiasm and passion for his craft.

ABOVE: Pictures of 'The Auchengeich Mining Disaster memorial sculpted by John McKenna, cast in bronze at the A4A studio foundry. Click here for more info about the Miner sculpture.

BELOW RIGHT: The Rt. Hon. Alex Salmond, MSP, First Minister of Scotland and RT. Hon. Tom Clarke MP unveiling the Mining disaster memorial at Moodiesburn, Glasgow

COMMISSIONED WORK undertaken by John McKenna, his associates and A4A Art for Architecture for various public and corporate bodies since 1990:

The Crown Estate

CUNARD

Walsall MBC

CENTRO

MEPC

SAINSBURY

TESCO

PEPSI Frito-Lay

MAHA, Birmingham

Staffordshire County Council

Stoke on Trent city council

Havant Borough Council

Haringey Council

Lanarkshire council

Leeds City Council

The States of Jersey

LIDL GmBh

Ibstock

Midland Metro Line

Baggeridge Brick

Warwickshire County.Council

Morris Homes

MANY COMMISSIONED Public artworks created by John McKenna can be found in the areas listed below:

Aston, Birmingham

Bilston

Brownhill, Staffordshire

Burslem, North Staffs.

CastleVale, Birmingham

Droitwich, Worcs.

Dudley

Evesham

Glasgow

Grenwich Millenium site

Gretna Green

Havant

Harringey

Leicester

Leytonstone , London

Longbridge, Birmingham

Malvern, Worcs.

Newcastle-u-Lyme, Staffs.

Nottingham

Nuneaton

Olton, Birmingham

Rugby

St. Helier, Jersey

Shrewsbury

Staines

Stourbridge

Swarcliffe, Leeds.

Walsall

Wednesfield

Wednesbury

Whitehaven

Wolverhampton

Worcester City

BELOW: 'The Auchengeich Mining Disaster memorial sculpted by John McKenna, unveiled on the 2Oth September 2009

MIDDLE PICTURE: The Miner at night

CLICK: on the pictures below to find out more about these A4A Artworks and the work of John McKenna the Sculptor. Please note some links will not be live site under construction.

Ceramic Shell 'lost wax' bronze casting sculpture foundry

www.bronzecasting.org.uk website design by John McKenna all images copyrighted Feb 2010

ON RIGHT: Commissioned for Hutchesons' Grammar School, The Sir Alex Stone memorial

FAR RIGHT Award for Computing Industry 'Matrix Mouse'