Sculptural progress

I got some time over the weekend to continue the work on the Bending sculptures and the stash of smaller leaves that I was making 'along the way'.

First the sculptures - after grinding off all the rough and sharp edges I pickled the big leaves to make them really bright before I started riveting them to the rods. I will apply oxidation solution to them after the riveting process. I can't do the pickling after I have riveted the steel rods to the copper leaf forms as one can't put steel into the pickling bath.

©2017 Barry Smith - Clean and shiny pickled leaves (about 25-28cm long). They are  ready to be riveted to the hammered rusty steel rods

©2017 Barry Smith - Half a bucket of pickled leaves - washing the picking solution off

©2017 Barry Smith - My pickling bath - an old slow cooker

Because they did not require riveting I decided to finish the stash of smaller leaves. They all needed to be pickled first and then have the oxidation solution applied. After drying a couple of coats of spray varnish was applied as these leaves will be indoors and one does not want powdery patina dropping off onto furniture. The edges of the varnished leaves were reground to give the edges some highlights.

©2017 Barry Smith - A stash of pickled smaller leaves

©2017 Barry Smith - Leaves with oxidation solution applied - patination progressing

©2017 Barry Smith - Three leaves with ground highlights on the edges - the leaves are sold in packets of three

©2017 Barry Smith - Stash of ground patinated copper leaves

I the next little while the larger leaves will be attached to the rods; and patinated.