As the large two-piece sculpture for Benburb is nearly completed, the second public commission is now the main focus in the studio: an over-life size figure of the celebrated Belfast painter William Conor (1881-1968). A 1.9m high bronze figure and a series of six Corten steel lightboxes with perforated images of his work are in mid-fabrication, to be installed by end of June. The plaster original has been modelled over the last four and a half weeks after a series of photographs of the artist and silicon moulds have been taken throughout last week. We are now in process of making the wax patterns for the casting moulds. The detailed head and hands of the painter are contrasted by the deeply textured and abstracted clothing of the body.
More images and information are available on the website www.williamconor.info or the project Facebook Page
The completed plaster pattern of the sculpture after 250 hours of work...
Assessing the nearly finished pattern
The head demanded the majority of the modelling time to achieve likeness
Conor contemplating the sculpture for Benburb...
Taking the silicon mould of the plaster original: the pink silicon is towelled on before the resin and fibreglass support form
The haunting image of the silicon moulds...
De-moulding is one of the most unpleasant jobs in the process, as well as being unnerving as most of the plaster original is lost in the process!
Conor has lost his head and much of the detail
The completed silicon moulds ready for cleaning
Karen is brushing molten foundry wax into a mould section. Note the photo of a young William Conor on the wall...
Conor's head - this time in wax