The Sounds and Smells of Home
July 21, 2011 § 1 Comment
Above is a picture of Lady, Kendall Mingey’s right hand girl, next to the molds they made for ‘Lure’ and ‘Blind’. Lady is an indispensable assistant in the mold-making process (or so she assures me). The molds are designed to replicate my sculptures in wax as many times as I like.
Into these pink beauties wax was poured and out came some very nice wax versions of the sculptures. I’ve been driving out to Calcagno Foundry, located in the poorly — but perhaps appropriately — named town of Boring, OR, every week day since last Wednesday to work on them.
I’d forgotten how different working with micro-crystalline wax is from clay. I’m out of practice! Textures in particular, are difficult to replicate. I was thankful to have so much advice and expert help in that department.
At this point the wax versions are all cleaned up and fitted to the bases. Today the foundry began dipping them in a slurry that will become the first layer of the next mold.
It’s funny how home-y the foundry feels. What’s funny about it is that I don’t even like the sounds and smells; the obnoxious whine of the grinder, the thump of the compressor driving hissing and clacking air-powered tools, the caustic smells of naptha and molten micro-crystalline wax all drive me outside. Whenever possible I do my work sitting on a stool just outside of the open garage door in the fresh air where the noise is more diffuse. All the same, the atmosphere is comforting.
Nicki Calcagno tells me several other clients have said the same thing. She thinks it’s because it’s a family owned and run business, which certainly is a part of it, but I think maybe it’s something that people who frequent studios and workshops come to find reassuring — the particular smells and sounds of the tools used to make their work.
Tagged: Blind, Dogs, Foundry, Lure
§ One Response to The Sounds and Smells of Home
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Liz Argall says: August 7, 2011 at 19:47
mmmm, just like the smell of burning kerosene makes this lapsed firetwirler happy down into her bones. :-)
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