Meet Odin!

Odin is the model for the C.W. Lonsdale Commission. Odin represents many of the German Shepherds Lonsdale had over the years and has a beautiful head! Lonsdale typically had two dogs (male & a  female) through out his life time. The dogs sat with him in his office as headmaster or followed behind him as he oversaw the comings and goings of Shawnigan Lake School. The reason I chose to do just one dog instead of two is I feel that by adding another dog, it would over power the sculpture (as seen in photo below). The focus needs to remain on Lonsdale, the founder, who managed to start a boarding school in 1916 in a remote area of B.C. Canada (Vancouver Island) and now it is a thriving school of 400 students! What an amazing accomplishment!

SLS Archives

Two of Lonsdale's Dogs - Taken Circa 1948 - SLS Archives

Odin is well trained and did a fabulous job sitting for 'cheese'! I managed to measure his ears, paws, snout, etc...

He will be a great model for the sculpture!

Sketches...Beginnings

Here are just some quick sketches on paper and in clay. I've just been trying to getting ideas out of my head and into some coherent form. They are rough but I am finding direction as I play with gesture and placement.

You can see some of the armature sticking out. That dog is going to add a lot of character and interest to the piece Dimensions : 9.5 x 5 x 5"

Charcoal sketch on paper. I'm now ready to bring the dog in my studio and start measuring him. I went to meet him today (Odin). He is owned by a lovely family in Port Orchard and I think we will be a perfect model as one of Lonsdale's dogs.

C.W. Lonsdale - Old Photo

New Sculpture Commission of C.W. Lonsdale - Founder of Shawnigan Lake School! Here are a few of my favorite photos of Lonsdale.

Here is a great photo of C.W. Lonsdale taken Circa 1927 after the fire of the original school building. He is shown here rebuilding the "main building" which is presently the offices of Shawnigan Lake School, B.C. Canada

Here is Lonsdale standing in front of the main entrance doors.

Patina at the Foundry

THE PATINA:

Below are a few pictures of the Oehmcke Commission - "Candice & Jackie" getting a traditional patina (consisting of blacks & browns). A patina takes the bronze piece which is a gold color, and changes the color by use of chemicals that are applied when the piece is cold or hot. If the piece does not get a patina it will change colors by exposure to the outdoors and air similar to copper. For “hot patinas”, a propane torch is used to heat the metal surface to the appropriate temperature to achieve the desired effect. Different chemicals (e.g. nitrates of copper, silver, iron, etc.) and application techniques (e.g. brushing, squirting, spraying, etc.) can be used to achieve a broad range of colors and effects.

The sculpture is hosed down with water and then the Liver Sulfur (base patina) is sprayed on which makes it a dark black and seeps into the crevices.

Here the piece is rubbed down with a scotchbrite pad so the original light bronze color is seen and the Liver remains for contrast. The piece begins to dry and is ready for the torch!

The sculpture is getting spun on a sculpture stand as Mike, at the Bronze Works Foundry, takes a torch working on heat consistency throughout the whole piece (220 degrees).

Once it has reached the right temperature the piece is sprayed with Ferric Nitrate and then once the desired color is reached a wax is applied to the surface while it is hot.

Once the piece is cooled a harder wax is applied and buffed.

Finished!!