Merry Chrysalis (& Happy New Year!)

NEW Work! Chrysalis, steel & resin/black walnut (31h x 27w x 11in).

Chrysalis

steel & resin (black walnut base)

Chrysalis

steel & resin

Chrysalis

steel & resin

Chrysalis

steel & resin

Behind the Scenes @ the Foundry w/ Griffon & Crazyhorse

It’s been fantastic to spend so much time in cool Colorado while overseeing the casting process for these two beasts. My dear friend and long time collaborator, patina artist Karl Reichley (CA), will join me in Colorado soon to help complete these four new works (the first two of each edition) with stunning finishes.

Griffon, 45”h—bronze, limited edition of 5; Crazyhorse, 45”h—bronze, limited edition of 5. Call or Email for more info and current pricing.

The Rolling Cart of Metal Body Parts

The conspicuous seam-welded patches are “windows” that were cut during the wax stage (then cast seperately) before dipping the rest of the sections (ceramic shell) and casting them all—to allow the sculpture to be cast hollow. Once cast in bronze, the windows were welded back in place. The next step is to file and grind out the weld seams, then assemble & weld all of the bronze sections together to complete the sculpture. I’m looking forward to returning to the foundry next week to supervise the weld-up!

Wintry Mix of New Maquettes, Somewhere Out West...

Cooking up NEW work while Griffon & Crazyhorse are “cooking” at the bronze foundry. I feel good about how my wire drawings scaled-up, but I know from experience that once I start to add mass and articulate the negative space(s) each piece often changes significantly, and therefore has about a fifty percent chance of success. So let’s see how they shape up…time will tell!

Griffon Lands in Bronze this Spring

Officially, I am spending the winter/spring out West (again) to supervise my bronze castings. Unofficially, however…

I signed the waxes for four new bronze sculptures last Friday: Griffon (44h x 32w x 12in), & Crazyhorse (45h x 28w x 13in). Currently in the gating stage of casting, the first two of each of these editions (limited to 5 each) will be ready by April. Meanwhile, it’s great to be out West—catching up on a bit of climbing and snowboarding!

Introducing: Fugue #2/5, Bronze

The original Fugue—painted magenta—featured in Love Life/S1 E8 Sara Yang (2020): Shown here with scene partners Syrinx (yellow/an early work) & Anna Kendrick. I love the visual punch of the bold, opaque colors I use on all of my original steel & resin works, but the surface and molecular characteristics unique to bronze make it the preferred final medium for my sculpture. Ideally suited for articulating my signature compound curves and dagger-sharp edges—most importantly—this radiant, ancient alloy has a limitless capacity for expressing beguiling, translucent patinas!

Fugue, bronze #2/5 (36h x 12w x 7in) by Dave Stevenson. Contact for purchase info/availability.

How to Make a Monumental Bronze (in 44 seconds)

Almost Done...Final Step? Build The Base!!

Here's a detail shot of the gorgeous patina we just completed at Polich-Tallix Foundry with patina artist Rosemary Rednour. We started out with my classic Fireball Patina but ended up with what I'm calling Rattlesnake because the final mix reminds me of the timber rattlers and copperheads we encounter when climbing at the Gunks. 

What's the final step? Build the base & schedule installation! I'm leaning towards a steel, trapezoidal design that will raise Acrobat about 21"-26" above ground level...

If you would like to contribute to The Acrobat Project, peruse the Sculpturezoo Art Gallery to purchase my original art & jewelry, or click on the RED donate button on the Sculpturezoo homepage. Thank you for visiting. Enjoy the Zoo!