That Little Red Dress; Too Low, Too Short, and Too Tight

While taking a metal sculpture course with Kevin Eischner I was able to create some small wax female figures and cast them in bronze, using the lost wax process. The whole thing is a labor intense effort. This particular bronze sculpture explores that part of a man's brain where girls with long blond hair zoom around in red convertible sports cars.....and dreams still linger. The dress was modeled of strips of wax warmed just right to be workable and yet cool enough not slump like melting ice cream. This was not an easy task. A sort of balancing act with a hair dryer and some iced water was in play here. After the pouring process was completed the casting was freed from it's sand mold. The straps for the dress were made of flattened bronze brazing wire welded in place as the last step. After cleaning and smoothing the areas that needed some work. The surface was heated and an red oxide dye was brushed on and the color slowly built up. This was the easiest way to apply color without getting into the complex chemistry of patinas. Even the smaller figure studies I did were labor intensive. Each step in the process was an opportunity for a mistake. Although intense, there was tremendous gratification in casting these bronze pieces.