Bronze Ginkgo Leaves - Evidence & Reflection

After waiting over a month it was time to check whether my bronze ginkgo leaves had come out as i expected them to. Luckily i made more than what i need as not all came out as well as some of the other ones had done. I found that the larger leaves worked a lot better further more the rods in which the metal went in to and the gas came out from worked best. However i didn't have enough leaves (6) where i used the feeding rods on the back of the leaf - where the wax was put - this means i will have to work at the metal to hopefully look the same as the rest. Only two leaves presented a stalk this would was down to the fact that the stalks were extremely thin additionally the bronze would of had to travel up rather than down making it difficult as its going against gravity. I'm extremely pleased how they have come out so far, the main worry was that the grains wouldn't be visible but this wasn't the case as they have presented them selves clearly. However its a shame that there isn't 6 leaves where all rods were attached on to the back. Also it would of been nice if it was possible to get the grains of the leaf on both sides, this wasn't possible with the wax casting method and any other method would have made the leaf to thin and it wouldn't of been able to be cast. 

              

The process of getting it out of the plaster cast was extremely satisfying and great way to relive any stress. After a month of waiting it was such a relief to see that they actually worked and came out how i envisaged. The process of casting reminds me of the history of the ginkgo tree, surviving the heat and destruction to once again bear its leaves of beauty.

                

The above two images show the aesthetics of the leaves before i have worked and treated them. This is at the very raw stage showing both the front and back. I don't like the back of the leaf where the wax was, it looks messy and clumsy as the stroke of the wax are visible.  

Using a hand saw, drill brush, belt sander, rotary file and chisel to work away at the back of the leaves. Firstly using the hand saw to remove most of the rods, using a hand saw meant i could control where i was cutting rather than using an circular saw especially with the leaves being so delicate. Then using the belt sander to remove as much as the rods as possible with the aim of getting it to the same level as the rest of the leaf. Using the drill brush then helped identify any parts that were extruding that needed to be removed which i then removed using the chisel and a hammer. For the final step i used the rotary file to add detail, working away at the bronze so it would look less worked and more natural. The is obvious groves and raises that i wanted to make flow into each other and not be so harsh. I found using the power tools easy yet i had to be extremely careful to not slip and damage the leaves in anyway, luckily it was on the back of the leaf and can be easily corrected.

 If i had more time i would work the back more so that it looked the same as the front. To do this i would need to make the back all one level and then work at it with the rotary file to add the veins. This would be a very time consuming process as working the back off the leaf took around 4 days on and off to complete. However i am pleased with the outcome i have produced so far; how i plan to present these leaves the back wont be shown. Even though the back wouldn't be visible i wanted to learn these techniques and develop my skills, overall i think it gives the sculptures a higher quality as its evident time and effort has been put into them.

After working the back of the leaves i then removed any visible blemish on the front ot the leaves using a chisel. This was the best way to remove them as it didn't result in marking the leaf anywhere else. When it came to removing the rods at the front of the leaf and used the belt sander to remove as much as possible. It was impossible to remove as much as i did on the back with the belt sander due to it not being so accurate and not waiting to remove any grains on the front of the leaf. So to remove the rest i changed the head on the rotary fill so it would remove more while still being accurate. This was a lengthy process as it wasn't as fast as using the belt sander yet it was a lot more accurate. I then changed the rotary file head to a sharp pointed one to add the lines making it blend in with the rest of the leaf. The above images shows one of the leaves after i have done this process. Its only slightly visible on the left side of the leaf but this should hopeful blend more once i chemically treat the leaf. I finish off using the drill brush very lightly.

The next step i added the stalk to the leaves using bronze wire this was a delicate process and took a few attempts to get right. using the rotary file i worked away the the joints to get a smooth transition from leaf to stalk making it look more natural.  The way this came out resembled how it would of come out if it had been cast with the stalk attached.

Once i finished all the metal work i treated it with a sulphur wash which i then rubbed off using a cloth. This process meant that the grains became more prominent as the groves were darker and the veins polished. After the sulphur wash i used a clear wax to add the final touches.

The overall aesthetics i'm so pleased with, they show the detail i wanted without looking too machined resulting in them looking much like the real thing. The different shapes and length of stalks only adds further to them looking more realistic. The leaves themselves remind me of the fossil of the ginkgo leaf i looked at in a previous blog post. The blemish add further detail making them more realistic even though they were not intended to be there. It shows that not all leaves are the same and if i had of cast the same leaf it wouldn't of had as much of a visual impact.