Sculptural progress

There are works that just take the time they are going to take. At the moment I'm working on two small indoor sculptural works that will hopefully go into a couple of upcoming exhibitions. The sculptures have flight and mountains as the connected themes. One of the installations will have 7 mountain forms and the other 5 forms.

I had done the rough cutting of the timber based on my templates. The big job was to do the sanding to create the mountain yet wingtip like form. I love the cross section of the wing tip - lovely tapered shape as you can see from the photo below.

©2016 Barry Smith - Cross section of the mountain-wingtip forms

I have done the first sand of the 12 red cedar timber pieces with a very heavy grit sandpaper on my belt sander to get the mountain-wing shape.

©2016 Barry Smith - Forming with the belt sander

©2016 Barry Smith - Twelve mountain-wingtips formed ready for more and more sanding

Then it is a matter of two more sandings to get the refined form and the smooth finish so that the pieces can be oiled and polished a couple of times with steel wool. I have got three pieces to the first oiled-polished stage as you can see from the photo below.

©2016 Barry Smith - Three sanded and oiled forms

©2016 Barry Smith - Three sanded and oiled forms

©2016 Barry Smith - Three sanded and oiled forms

Over the weekend I will finish the saving and oiling; and then during the week add the aluminium sheeting to the forms. But now it is the end of Friday - so time to sit, reflect and have pumpkin and blue cheese risotto and a red wine.

©2016 Barry Smith - Piles of sawdust from cutting the forms