Metal Casting Zone Info Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Art’

Specifically for casting charms, pendants and other jewelry parts. I’m looking for something that doesn’t require a ton of space to use, though I do have a table set up to do crafting and art projects, it’s not in a very large space.

One could I be pardoned if, like Rip van Winkle waking up after a 20-year sleep, he finds himself most pleasantly surrounded by a plethora of objets d’art that have mushroomed, replacing the traditional framed pictures that have always adorned walls. I Instantly, he’s amazed to find them made of metal, a material normally used in construction, not in art. He’s even more delightfully surprised to find that such a material – which sometimes includes parts one can only find in junk yards – could be transformed into a thing of beauty and a bundle of paradoxes. I Metal, for instance, is heavy, yet here are metal sculptures ranging from delicate mobiles to gigantic stabiles that flutter or sway in the slightest wind. It’s cold, yet as a metal wall sculpture or any abstract metal art, the emotions it elicits is anything other than cold. He’s also amazed to find them everywhere – for instance as a 16-meter, 50-ton vermilion leviathan like Alexander Calder’s Flamingo which adorn the Federal Plaza in Chicago, or as an exquisitely delicate and life-like praying mantis adorning a lighted corner. From indoor metal wall sculptures decorating walls, to gigantic stabiles jazzing up public sites, metal art is here. Here are some facts would-be metal art aficionados might want to know.

Casting
Some metal sculptures are made by casting, sometimes called lost-wax casting. One of the most famous in this type is Benvenuto Cellini’s Perseus with the Head of Medusa statue in bronze with its startling detail and immense grace. I Here, the artist pours molten metal-which can be aluminum, steel, bronze or some other alloy — into a mold, which, after some tedious process, is removed, revealing the masterpiece inside. Then the masterpiece is cleaned up, and, often, a patina is added. I Casting dates back 6,000 years, its oldest surviving example being a copper frog from 3,200 B.C.
Fabricated Sculpture

Here, the artist welds metal pieces together, which, often in combination with lighting accent results in a breathtakingly beautiful piece of art possessing the power to transform any drab corner into an electrifying area of glam and even chutzpah. These art pieces endow the lucky owner instant pizzazz, marking them off as possessing style and grace. I
Patinated copper abstract contemporary wall art is an example. I Other examples could be abstract brass or steel sculptures given a torch coloring or transparent tint finish. I All share the same characteristics: I handcrafted, hand-painted, and unique. I There are small ones and big ones. I Some are intended for outdoors, others for indoors. I Each artist has its own style, and some have even gone so far as to specialize in one specific category, honing their skills to perfection. I There’s one artist, for instance, who specializes in animals and insects, and whose frogs and I praying mantises are incredibly life-like and look like they couldn’t possibly be made of metal. There’s practically everything for everybody. There are human forms, animal forms, and yet still others which can’t be described by any other adjective than “alien” form. I

Found Art
One artist in this category – which is also called “found object,” I “objet trouve,” “ready made,” or “junk art” — describes his work as “sculpture fabricated from twentieth century by-products,” which aptly describes art of this type. I Found art sculpture differs from fabricated sculpture in one significant way: I found art starts with an already finished product, e.g., a piece of copper tube, an elbow joint, a nut, a dented car fender, the base of a table lamp, and turns it into something totally different from the original. I In this sense, found art finds kinship with the green movement slogan: I re-use, re purpose, recycle.

Gardens are great! Many of us have worked with some sort of garden, even if it was a mini garden in our front yard or backyard. While gardening can be hard work, there is something invigorating about the hands-on activity of working with soil. Also, it is rewarding to taste the fruits (and vegetables) of our labor. If you want to capture the glory of gardens as a bedroom theme, then follow these basic guidelines:

1. Select a light bed
The bed does not have to be lightweight in weight per se. Consider:

-ornate brass beds
-white or off-white beds
-headboards with a floral design
-cast-iron beds with wicker

2. Add floral wall art to the walls
You can add a variety of wall art with either floral or garden themes. Pressed flowers or ferns are one idea. This amazing process can increase the flowers life while allowing it to retain its beauty. You could also hang up pictures, such as botanical prints, on the walls. Finally, consider lovely botanical wall art, such as leaf metal wall art. Various styles and sizes of such art are available.

3. Choose a painted wood or pale wood dresser, or chest of drawers
Use a Battenburg lace or classic floral print tablecloth (circa early 1900s) atop the chest of drawers or dresser.

4. Choose curtains that create a light and spacious appearance
You have several styles from which to select, including eyelet, floral-print cafe, ruffled curtains, and tab-top.

5. Choose beside tables that support a garden theme
You could select skirted round tables topped with a fabric that complements your bedspread. Another option is a table with a glass-top, such as those for outdoors. Yet another option is a painted wood table that looks weather-beaten.

6. Accessorize, accessorize!
Accessories always put the finishing touches on any themed room. Likewise, you can use a wide array of accessories for a bedroom with a garden theme. Your options include:

-animal figurines
-birdhouses
-dried flowers
-fresh flowers
-lace doilies
-potpourri
-wreaths

7. Choose lamps with a basic appearance
Consider ceramic and wrought iron lamps as options. Of course, you could also select a lamp with a floral pattern. Once again, the importance is that the lamps provide a light appearance. After a tough day in school or at the office, such lamps can create an ideal aura for reading a book or magazine.

8. Use beddings that are light
You have many options, including chenille, delicate floral, eyelet, gingham checks, lace, and pastel quilts. Such beddings can effectively complement various types of floral and garden wall art, such as leaf metal wall art. Regardless of which style of bedding you choose, make sure that it has a light appearance.

While putting a garden in your bedroom is somewhat impractical, the next best thing is to create a garden theme for it. You can use various items, such wrought iron wall art, to create a light and relaxing environment!

Precious metal clay (brand names are PMC and Art Clay) is modern-day alchemy. PMC is a clay base with tiny pieces of silver suspended within it that, when heated, burns off the clay leaving a solid silver residue. The clay base acts as a binder for the metal particles. Once this has been removed, the remaining silver particles bind together, giving you the finished product.

The real beauty of precious metal clay is that it can be manipulated like any ordinary modelling clay, making it perfect for jewellery making. The modern precious metal clay can be using a jeweller’s torch, as the firing temperature is much lower than the early versions of this clay. However, a small kiln will produce a much more constant temperature range and can be controlled exactly, meaning that the results will be more consistent.

Precious Metal Clay once had a very bad reputation for shrinkage, making it unsuitable for fine work or detail. Modern precious metal clays have a much lower shrinkage rate (around 10-15%), but you still need to factor this into the final piece to ensure that really fine detail is not lost in the firing process.

Once fired, the silver piece will seem very lacklustre and dull, so it will need finishing. The dull matt surface hides the real beauty underneath, so finishing and polishing will reveal the shining silver below. When soldering finished precious metal clay pieces it is essential to remember that the surface will be more porous than standard sterling silver, so it is best to burnish the piece prior to soldering. But because it is almost pure silver there is little risk of fire stain on the surface and the final results are almost indistinguishable from sterling silver.

Because precious metal clay is a clay, it takes impressions very well. A design can be pressed onto the surface of the clay and be revealed in the final silver piece. Patterned rollers, lace or even leaves can be used to create unique effects that are difficult to reproduce in ordinary silver unless it has been cast. Precious metal clay is a popular way of making silver beads. The clay can be formed into beads, decorated with a surface pattern and then fired in a kiln quickly and easily, producing high quality silver beads.

Safety considerations have to be taken into account when working with precious metal clay because of the high temperatures required to fire the clay. A small enamelling kiln allows you to safely achieve the temperatures required for optimum results, but ensure that you have all the correct equipment such as tongs with heat resistant handles to extract work from the kiln safely and a heat-proof surface upon which to work.

Precious metal clay is an ideal medium to work in if you want to create pieces of silver jewellery that are unique to you. The only thing that limits you is your imagination. Precious metal silver clay is widely available from good jewellery equipment suppliers. There are two main brands – Precious Metal Clay and Art Clay Silver. The clay is also available in other metals including gold, but the cost is significantly higher than the silver clay.

Bronze casting is a sculpting strategy that originated in the ancient times. The Greeks and Chinese mastered this process, which was later invigorated in the Renaissance period and is widely practiced in modern times. Very little traditional bronze Greek sculpture survived ; history records attribute this to the indisputable fact that the metal was later softened down for other reasons. Amid the few existing examples of an enduring bronze work are 2 stunning successes : The Zeus of Artemisium and The Delphic Charioteer.

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Bronze may be cast solid, hammered, carved, or made in incised forms. By itself, bronze can bear exposure to the natural elements better than stone and other materials. This is the explanation for it being extensively used and preferred for the creation of a large range of outside public sculpture. Bronze is also ideal for casting art works. If softened in correct conditions, it flows into all of the crevices of a mold, perfectly reproducing every feature of the most dexterously created model. It is delicate and malleable underneath the sculptor’s tool.

Art lovers all over the world search for superior bronze sculptures to expand private collections. Bronze artwork is highly subjective, as a single bronze sculpture may appeal to one individual and not to another. However, the supremacy of bronze sculptures may be assessed according to their configuration and the molding process employed to create the artwork.

Wildlife, important events and time period pieces can all be represented in bronze sculptures. These artifacts can be acquired from bronze sculpture manufacturers. If one has an interest in unique work, opting for a custom-built bronze sculpture is an alternative.

While buying bronze sculpture, a buyer should be conscious of the provision of fake statues. In the 19th and 20 th century, at least four thousand fake bronze castings of sculpture have gained access into the market and are still being displayed at many art exhibitions. Hence if one comes to a decision to buy a bronze sculpture, one must study the sculpture thoroughly or enroll the aid of a professional in assessing the originality of the piece.

Come visit us right here for more Metal Casting Info and get two Metal Casting Ebooks Aluminum Bronze Casting.
http://www.metalcastingzone.com/