John Toomey’s Blog.
During the years 2009 and 2010 three commissions were completed in bronze.
The first commissioned by Mrs A. De Lacy-Nash was ‘The Man of Arran’
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This project is a bronze half-life sized figure of a seafaring man (a fisherman).
The name of this piece is ‘' The Man of ‘Arran’ Commissioned by Mrs A de Lacy-Nash.
The method used is the lost wax process. The process will be detailed after the third piece.
Enclosed are pictures of the various stages of the above piece.
This is a one off piece and the owner of the original mould has given permission to produce the object but with variations. For example the original piece has the fisherman with a coiled rope in one hand and vertical oar in the other.
A future piece might have the fisherman holding an extended net or carrying a brace of salmon.
The second object is called the Agincourt.
This piece consists of the following.
During the years 2009 and 2010 three commissions were completed in bronze.
The first commissioned by Mrs A. De Lacy-
This project is a bronze half-
Enclosed are pictures of the various stages of the above piece.
This is a one off piece and the owner of the original mould has given permission to produce the object but with variations. For example the original piece has the fisherman with a coiled rope in one hand and vertical oar in the other.
A future piece might have the fisherman holding an extended net or carrying a brace of salmon.
The second object is called the Agincourt.
This piece consists of the following.
(a) A bronze base plinth.
(b) Rising from the plinth will be the form of a Yew Tree giving the impression of a growing tree and the formation of pagan Celtic Symbols. The top section of the tree will give the impression of the famous bowman ‘’V’’ sign.
(c) From the V sign will raise a half shaft of an Agincourt arrow surmounted by a full replica of an actual Agincourt arrow. The arrow will be able to pivot through 360 degrees and act as a weather vane.
(d) The central section will have a wide tilted compass rose on which will be imposed the compass points. This is to signify the expanding dominance of England during the following centuries.
The owners of this piece wish to hand to their family a record of their own heritage.
For example this item will have four surnames and places of birth engraved on the plinth. On this particular commission the compass rose will have a further three names with facilities to add others in the coming centuries.
Again this is a one off production but could be produced in a future figure have something else replacing the Agincourt arrow.
Produced for Dr. David Kirpatrick McMillian
The third piece is titled The Blacksmiths Lady.
The piece was commissioned for the Keane Family of Limerick.
Commissioned by Mrs. Margarets Keane-Pudney Ascot
Although it is a likeness of a member of the family it is also conceptional in that it represents the lady in question as she would have looked out over the battlefields after the siege of Limerick. The onlooker has to decide whether she is looking out prior to or after the battle.
Making Armature
The Start of the Agincourt
After wax burn/extraction
Agincourt pieces 6
Man f of Arran 5
Rubber mould making 4
The man of Arran
Click for larger pictures
Extraction from Wax investment 9
Preparation of rubber mould
AN EXPLANATION OF THE PROCESSES IN THE FORMATION OF ‘THE BLACKSMITHS LADY,
These pictures show the initial armature on the right. The other three figures show the various stages during sittings of the subject.
Plastaline was used instead of terracotta as the periods of sitting were extended and the terracotta would have hardened due to the period required to keep it damp
The Agincourt
Various stages in the making of the wax head prior to investing
Preparation of Plastaline head for rubber mould
Head enclosed in Terracotta
Rubber mould preparation
Coating rubber mould with was
CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE
