Woven Experiment No.68 - Smooth and texture

Woven Experiment No.68 - Smooth and texture

With this experiment I wanted to try and combine the texture of a woven section with a smooth area to see what results the combination would create. 

A solid core of plaster was cast and carved into an oval form, then a covering of smooth wax and then a detail figure 8 swirl wrapping around the form.

With this experiment I found I had a more finished look than with any other piece so far. It required very little welding on the red wax as the weaving was made using a continuous length of 3mm wax.

The sticky wax smoothes to a degree with the fingers but it can cause drag. Using a tea spoon heated in boiling water seems to work to smooth out areas. But the question is how much to work something? should the smooth wax be completely void of marks or would it add to the sculpture to leave behind finger prints, dints and other small features?

Introducing a new texture

Following on from my previous post, I wanted to challenge myself to create a sculpture experiment that features both smooth and texture.

I have created a solid core, carved the shape and attached a series of guide lines of waxed thread around it used to anchor the texture.

The texture is a length of 6mm wax bent at the centre point, then taking a length of 3mm wax I have created a figure 8 weave down the length go the parallel lines. At some points I have allowed the weave to tighten and bring the parallel lines together, and at other points allowed it to widen to create interest along the length.

It has been very difficult to firstly decide how to display the weaving around the form, and secondly how to attach it without it falling off. The guide lines had to be re-applied twice as they too kept slipping off the plaster.

Eventually the weaving is attached, now for the smooth areas.

Woven Experiment No.59 Oval woven form with a side split

Woven Experiment No.59 Oval woven form with a side split

The second experiment using a solid core of plaster, this time carved into an oval shape. Two guide lines of 6mm wax bands were first placed onto the oval and held in place with waxed thread and finally a weld with molten wax.

The form was then covered with layers of crochet leaving two slits down either side of the oval.

The weave went on more easily this time as I worked the top first, then turned over the form and placed it in my lap to add wax to the underside. This allowed me to work without worrying about the other side slipping off, but the heat from my lap softened the wax and the wax beca to flatten a little. 

To remedy this I created a soft box which the sculpture could be placed into whilst I worked the underside using a box filled with polystyrene chipping and a layer of bubble wrap. The wax didn’t soften this time but it still continued to flatten.

The resulting woven form has a more successful weave application, but I don’t think the 6mm bands welded together are working to well aesthetically, maybe there is a neater method of creating the guide lines.

The red wax experiments have been delivered to Pangolin were they are being put through the lost wax process to see how the new wax reacts.

This is the first picture of the bronze versions, you can see they are still attached to the sprue’s. The next step is to remove the sprue and clean them up.

The finished Hand Woven Bronze Sculpture on display nestled amongst wild flower turf and Ox-Eye Daisies.

The 100th Chelsea Flower Show open to the Queen and the Royal family, and Rachel receives her third RHS award in as many years.

Woven bronze sculpture: a new method of weaving

During the last six years I have experimented with natural materials such as willow to create sculptural work for the landscape. Using a welded steel frame within the sculpture helps to provide a structure for the work and helps support the willow which is woven onto the surface. 

My sculptures are shown widely across the UK in a variety of curated exhibitions and at one large event each year, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Working with natural materials offers a tactility to the work that I really enjoy, in addition to creating my own trademark weaving style that is unique to my work. The method of applying the willow in circular layers is also a unique characteristic of my sculptures. 

The sculptures are often inspired by geometric forms, and the sphere has become a particular favourite of mine, the approach to creating spherical work is quite unlike any other shape, it allows the material to be applied in a continuous length that appears to have no beginning or end. The sphere lends itself to numerous ideas and concepts, and can fit many styles of landscape or space.

Willow has a limited life span and as a result sculptures are sold with this in mind with a price that reflects the life span.

After researching different materials that could be woven in the same hand woven process that I enjoy, I found that there was very few options available that could replicate both the tactile surface, and the colours and tones of the material like that of the willow. However there was one that could potentially work, cast Bronze. 

After discussing my ideas with a number of UK artists whom use bronze in their work, they felt that it was technically impossible to cast one of my sculptures due to sheer number of undercuts and voids that feature in my woven work. 

I’ve continued my research into bronze sculptures and could not find any examples of UK artists who create bronze sculptures in the manner of my own, so could not seek any peer mentoring for my idea. 

But, I have found a way! watch this space over the next few months as I reveal and discuss this new innovation of a hand woven cast bronze sculpture.