Frangipani

I really had fun making this art piece so let me explain how it all came together.  I sculpted the full size head in wax.  The hair is made from fine strands of copper wire.  I had a 3/4" diameter cable that was made up of 8-10 individual smaller cables of fine copper wire.  The main cable was cut into 6" lengths and separated.  I left the insulation on the small segments of cable to hold the wire together while the construction continued. I did strip the insulation from the first 1/2" of each segment.  These segments were plugged into the wax head much the same way as a Dr. puts hair plugs in a bald head.  A dowel was used to open the holes in the wax and the stripped end of each segment was pushed in the full 1/2".  The wax around the copper cable was tooled to leave a smooth scalp.  The placement and number of plugs is a judgment call.  Visualize the copper cables being opened and the hair spread around to help with this decision.

The next major step was to coat the head with Plaster of Paris, being careful to work it down around the copper cables.  A thickness of 1" over all surfaces as a minimum was desirable.  The bottom of the base was not coated.  When completely dry the wax can be melted out through the bottom to create a mold for the resin.  Make sure it is completely dry.  Don't rush this step as moisture will produce steam and you don't want that force at work on your project.  I was fortunate to have access to a kiln to melt the wax but if you are limited to other methods use a low heat and take longer to finish the job.  High heat and the liquid wax are a combustible mixture that you don't want in your kitchen oven or the barbecue.

The mold was ready for the resin and this is the chance to use the colors of the resin to define this face you visualize.  I chose to use bold colors so often adopted by our neighbors to the south in their celebrations.  By giving this piece the title of Frangipani it places it in Central America, Mexico, Cuba or the Caribbean. When the mold is taken off and insulation comes off the bundles of copper wire and the strands are coiffured in a casual way the results are shown below.

Some of you may have recognized Frangipani as the name of a very pleasant, fragrant perfume.  Further research revels it is the common name for the Plumeria plant, the source of the perfume.  There are a number of plants in this species that grow in the tropical climate of Southern Mexico, Central America, Cuba, and the Caribbean.  What could more fitting for our young lady in resin.

                   Plumeria blossom (Frangipani)

  More detail can be found on my art at my website <www.apatchablue.com