courses in bronze sculpture casting

ALTHOUGH INFORMAL this is primarily a practical course, with pertinent theory delivered alongside. You will need old clothes/overalls and safety boots are

essential. All other safety equipment will be supplied. We will try and accommodate your expectations of the course and discuss these at the outset.

Directions to get here can be emailed for drivers, the nearest train station is Girvan, where we can pick you up from. Sunday night arrival allows a light

'induction' to the studio layout ready for starting waxwork on Monday morning. To complete the course and achieve a finished cast piece approximately

8 hours per day is necessary, but as we are on site at the studio 24/7 this can be spread out into the evening if you are happy about working later.

WHO: Open to anyone over 18 years, no previous foundry experience or art education necessary. See some participants COURSE TESTIMONIALS

WHAT: A Ceramic Shell lost wax bronze casting Residential Course, usuaslly lasting x5 days but the course can be tailored to suit each person's learning target, working in the studio with a professional public artist. Each participant has the opportunity to cast a small piece of their own work in bronze to take home, all materials are included in the course fee. SCROLL DOWN BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS. and here for the BRONZE CASTING COURSE PROGRAM, opens in another page.

WHEN: The courses have proved very popular and now we only have x1 place left on the October course OCT Mon 11th - Fri 15th. See http://www.sculpturecourses.org./a4adateandprices.html. More courses including life modelling, portrait modelling, wax for bronze sketching, painting and drawing courses ongoing, throughout 2011, more dates to follow. See alternate website for more courses at www.a4a.co.uk

CHARGES: As from next year for a x5 full day course, with on-site self catering accommodation in our studio cottage included in the price, (meals can be provided at additional cost), course total £750/person, a maximum of 3 persons/per course and all course materials included in the price. Longer courses can be arranged. This course is fully insured and you are issued with the necessary personal protection equipment.

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

A4A Art for Architecture studio bronze casting ailsa craig Ayrshire

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. The courses will have a MAXIMUM of x3 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 below summarize the course.

COURSE CONTENT lots of processes and topics covered, below is a brief explanation of some of them, dont worry if you cannot fully understand the processes outlined below, it becomes much more clear as you undertake the process.

Waxworking, creating a sculpture pattern from wax, a wax 'positive'. This can be considered prior to arrival at the studio, perhaps sketched out already.

Spruing wax sculptures ready for ceramic shell investment. The process of assembling runner and riser feed and gate sprues to enable bronze to flow into the shell mould.

Silicon RTV moulding, making a small relief mould to see the process of moulding with this great moulding material.

Workshop practices, using power tools, introduction into TIG welding and general foundry layout. Looking at the way furnaces work, construction, types of fuel, foundry tools, slurry mixer tanks, drying procedure for shells.

Health and Safety in the studio foundry. We take this seriously and all participants upon the course will need to bring their own safety boots, we supply all other safety equipment which we will expect you to wear when instructed to.

Ceramic shell process. You will participate in the shelling process, degreasing your wax sculpture, slurry dipping and stucco coating your wax positive to form a 'shell' layer. Once this layer has dried the process is repeated building layers of ceramic shell around your wax positive pattern.

Lost wax burnout this is where the completed shell with encased wax sculpture pattern inside is heated in a kiln to burn out the wax. Hence the 'lost wax' process, once the wax is out of the ceramic shell, there is a negative void where once the wax was.

Casting bronze. The empty shells are now ready for bronze to be poured into the negative void where the wax positive was.We use silicon bronze here as its flows well into detail when molten at 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. You will undertake these processes to finish the bronze.

Patination. The process of applying a chemical to colour the bronze, assisting the development of the patina using heat.

Finishing the course hopefully you will leave with a small bronze cast of your own design, polished and wrapped to travel. We issue all participants a certificate on completion of the courseand although not a formal qualification it gives you a record of attendance and your course achievements.

APPLY: Prefereably by Telephone 01655 332215 or if you wish to email info@bronzecasting.org.uk putting "bronze casting course" in the subject line.

CONTACT: Organiser: John McKenna A.R.B.S, professional practicing public artist, a member of the Royal Society of British Sculptors. Over the years John has made many artworks in a variety of media, primarily in bronze and steel. He a vast experience of sculpture and public art creation, fabrication and installation and taught Sulpture and 3D design at FE colleges.

ACROSS: Picture shows John McKenna with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth discussing his Year of the Jersey cattle memorial sculpture project and showing her examples of his sculptural works.

OUR EXPECTATIONS: we hope you would gain from the course

1. Practical work experience of a studio art foundry

2. The completion of a small bronze casting of your own

3. Basic waxwork and mouldmaking technique.

4. An insight into the work of a practicing artist/sculptor.

5. The opportunity to share in our knowledge and experience of sculpture gained over the years.

6. Hopefully a feeling of self worth, the pleasure that comes from success, whatever your level of experience.

7. A desire to do more, pursue knowledge and to take your own work forward.

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

Auchengeich Mining disaster memorial Alex Salmond MSP, TomClarke

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.