Page 34 - Casting of Angels- Dave Parvin

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wings, hair, and the molding at the Streets of Loredo” that goes, “I can
top were Forton MG to which copper tell by your outfit that you are a
powder had been added producing a cowboy.” So all that is needed to
very credible cold cast “bronze.” make someone into a cowboy,
Photograph #9 shows the casting faerie, or mermaid is the right outfit.
fresh out of the mold. The hair was Add a few sea critters and a tail and
turned black with “Super Antique presto, one mermaid. The sea critters
40” and the leaves and wings became are no problem; shells and starfish
green by using a home made patina are available from any craft store. I
solution (2). The garland of flowers would sculpt the tail in oil based
around her forehead was a string of clay. But first, I had to figure out
artificial flowers that was coated with something.
Forton MG with brass powder. A Just what does a mermaid’s tail
light blue wash was applied to the look like. Recently, I had read a
area above her so as to distinguish it hopeful sounding book titled A
from the flesh areas. Everything Photo 10 Mermaid’s Tale. (2.) Unfortunately,
except the flowers was polished with It was “tale” and not “tail” and the
soft cloth buffing wheels with either book while well worth reading
white or brown buffing compounds. wasn’t much help. Amazingly, no
The completed portrait is shown in one has ever photographed a
photograph #10. mermaid and the next best reference
In my second example my model was paintings and drawings which
gets to become a mermaid. While the offer lots of choices. There isn’t even
result is different, the process is agreement as to how many tails.
essentially the same. While most mermaids are depicted
I once sculpted a small bronze with one, some have two as if each
statue of a adolescent mermaid trying Photo 11 leg became separate tails. Further
on shells for the first time. confusion comes from the fact that
(Photograph #11) Her left hand held mermaids are usually covered with
a shell covering her left breast with scales on their lower half. Fish have
another shell positioned in her right scales but sea mammals don’t. Scales
hand to cover her right breast. For or not, I have to think of mermaids as
this article, I wanted to tell the same warm blooded mammals and not cold
story but there was a problem. While blooded fish. I have never seen a
it is perfectly acceptable to sculpt a mermaid depicted with gills and have
1/4 life size adolescent mermaid with to assume that mermaids are air
one breast exposed, a life casting is breathing. All this leads me to
more like a photograph. Since it suspect that mermaids may have
wouldn’t have been proper to expose Photo 12 scales for some unknown reason, but
the model’s breast that wasn’t are more likely to have tails that are
covered with a shell, I would need a mammalian. Unfortunately, there are
model with hair long enough to three very different types of sea
preserve her modesty and reputation. mammals: sea otters; whales,
For the faerie portrait, the model porpoises, and dolphins; and seals
looked so much like a faerie that she and sea lions. For my first mermaid,
inspired the piece. But in this case, I in photo #11, I chose a porpoise style
had the mermaid idea first and then tail and still think that it is the more
chose the model. It just so happened attractive. So in this case, I decided
that I know a young lady, Laura, who to do the same. I’m safe unless
met my criteria. someone actually takes a photograph
of a mermaid and proves me wrong.
#1. She looked like a mermaid. Photo 13 I’ll take my chances.
#2. She was the right age, 13. I intended this mermaid portrait
#3. Her hair was long enough. One of my assistants, Melissa, to be a companion piece to the faerie
#4. She and her mother, Leslie, and I cast Laura in the same way as portrait and I wanted both to be the
loved to visit my studio and play Caylie above resulting in a plaster same size. Since I was definitely
“let’s make art history.” I had positive. (See photograph #12.) After short on space, I could only show the
already done several casts of her repairing a few minor imperfection, I upper part of the top half of the
and she was excited to be part of attached the plaster cast to a 24 inch mermaid. The tail, which I sculpted
the project, perfect. in diameter piece of fiberboard. I out of clay, would have to come up
love the line from the old song “The behind the head. I was unable to find
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