Four days before Christmas and I feel as today was a great gift given to me for the intense work I put into the clay mold of Ocean Dancer’s I second pour. Spending many hours perfecting the smoothness of the clay really paid off. One may not notice it in the following photos, as the bronze comes out of the furnace at 2,000 degrees, but I can tell it is going to be a smooth lovely finish. In about 40 more hours of work!

Le Beau Touché is a sulfur free, extremely smooth and flexible plasteline with exceptional adhesive qualities, but too soft.

• The summer heat made the clay very soft, every nail and finger print showed.
• More clean up to eliminate the imperfections from the marks in the clay.
• Careful with the tools, any “miss-taps from a tool showed up on the clay. 
• More clean up to eliminate the scratches
• Dust, clean it up

Next clay

AMACO Modeling/Sculpting Materials > Industrial Styling Clay (HBX-2)

Non-hardening. AMACO® Industrial Styling Clay is excellent for designing large and small models. A medium firmness clay that can be carved, extruded, shellacked or painted and held to +/- 1/2000 inch tolerance. 

Today was the pour…..

Seven layers of sand creates a ceramic shell

Ceramic shell is heated to 1700 degrees to prevent cracking

30 minutes later it rests in a pile of dry clean sand.

Molton Bronze is heated to 2000 degrees, broken glass is added to the bronze to release impurities.

Clean very hot molton bronze secure and ready to pour

Nic's first pour!

2000 degrees

One hour after the pour the ceramic is removed from the sand to cool.

After 30 minutes, its grab with large prongs and water is poured on to crack the shell.

A very clean break

Next the spurs are sawed off

Baby Sting Ray

After speaking to Michael owner of M & M Surf School in Seal Beach, we have come to the conclusion "Moms" have their babies in the clam waters. If you are near a jetty or outlet, "Do the Sting Ray Shuffle" Mom is near by and stepping on her can be extremely painful.

Today is a presentation in Sculpture lecture, 5 minutes to convey my message.

Judy Salinsky

Title of the Work: Ocean Dancer II

Context:

Growing up on the beach, has brought me into contact with a variety of marine life living off our California Coast. The one creature that stands out the most is the California Round Stingray, (Urolophus halleri). The purpose of my sculpture is to bring awareness to the public about these wonderful creates and the interaction when entering their domain.

What:

Bronze Sting Ray Sculpture with a wing spanned of 21” and tail length of 36” . Curved tail from base, The height, approximately height of forty inches. The rods will be hidden by the flowing kelp and give support to the ray, extending the ray in mid-air creating an appearance of swimming.

Why:

My intention is to cast a large bronze stingray sculpture depicting beautiful stingrays in their natural habitat and install it in public view with a plaque educating beach-goers on the presence of these creatures, and how to safely enjoy the beach, protecting themselves and the stingray habitat at the same time.

Sting Ray Shuffle II:
The Making of Bronze Ocean Dancer II

I applied for the Encinitas Street Faire this morning! The show is two days, but I decided to go for the 26th of April, a corner space. Hope I get in!

Yogi Surf Crossing "Opening Day"

November 15, Mom and I gave our Yogi Surf Crossing is a premier display at the Encinitas Community Center. It was a fantastic turnout with fans from high school and the customers from the grocery store (where I worked for 24 years). I am a late starter in the art world, and I can now appreciate the hard work and long hours it takes to be involved in an Art Show. The rewards outweigh the many weeks of preparation. The T-shirts were a great success with a support team that shared their ideas and thoughts on extending the popularity of YSC.

Ocean Dancer Up Date

I am not sure how to edit a precvious post, so I will add it here. A few thoughts before moving on to an wonderful turn-out I had November 15th, 2014 (one day after my 60th birthday!) selling Yogi Surf Crossing at the Holiday Bazaar in Encinitas.

Ocean Dancer sitting on Hard Red clay, this is the mold.

Silicone Painted on in four layers

Creates another mold

Working with Brandon Roy at the California Academy of Sculpture in Fallbrook, California has been such a forfilling experience. He is a kind generous instructor, that shares all his knowledge in a soft spoken tone with patience like a Grandfather. Helen Wilson, is instructing, this semester at Palomar college, which has been a teaching experience for me, as I help the first semester students learn the many steps in creating their “Mask”.

What perfect timing, I am moving forward in creating three small rays; their setting, two  swimming along side each other and the third, peeking through the sandy ocean bottom. The fourth ray is a mini-version of the larger ray which will be named Ocean Dancer II, she will be entered into the San Diego Botanical Garden 2016. Here is a look at the 2014 exhibit….

http://www.sdbgarden.org/sculpture.htm

So many tasks are racing through my creative brain:

1.     How large will the sculpture have to make a “statement in the underwater succulent garden?”

2.     How will I raise the capital to build Ocean Dancer II

3.     Where can I learn more about raising capital?

4.     Learning about “Crowd Funding”

5.     Where to buy the materials?

6.     What is the quantity of materials that I need?

7.     Is there a minimum for such materials?

8.     Where will I build Ocean Dancer?

9.     The slurry; how much time?

10.  Raise money to pay Brandon, at California Sculpture Academy to assist in the process.

11.  Finished processes, which includes;

12.  Sand Blasting

13.  Picking

14.  Using the circular blade to cut and polish?

15.  Patina, the Master Ron Young!

I went to the SDBG and measured the Octopus as suggested by a reliable source. That octopus really makes a statement and the movement is grand. She is about 30” at the base of the main body; the arms are about four feet long. This gives me an idea on the size in which I need to work.

Briefly read about “Crowd Funding and found a source from Forbes which has already research the diffidence in the sites and what they have to offer. Indiegogo is the one for me, they help you by offering manuals, suggesting to “get-the-ball” rolling before starting your campaign.

Grants are another opinion; hopefully I can find help for writing a grant.