Yellow Hat Buddhist Monk Bronze Statue
The process of making a cold cast bronze statue starts with sculpting the original statue using sculptor’s plasteline. Plasteline is a much more detailed medium than clay, although it does take longer to get a smooth finish. Creating the original takes hours and hours of detailed work – this is by far the longest part of the whole process.
The subject is a Buddhist monk sat in meditation in the lotus position with hands holding a bowl of nectar. He wears traditional monks robes and the distinctive and beautiful yellow hat. The yellow hat is associated with the Gelug Pa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The Gelug Pa, or Gelug, tradition was founded in the 14th century by Lama Tsongkhapa (1357 – 1419).
The goal of this sculpture, as with all works of art, is to transmit the energy and feelings of the sculptor’s intention through the medium, in this case through a bronze statue. We wanted to convey calm, steady, uplifting and aligned energy through the sculpture so when viewed this energy is imparted to you, giving meaning and purpose to the artwork.
The 7 step process is detailed below. The finished sculpture can be purchased here in our online shop. We are now in the process of making the next sculpture, so watch this space!
STEP 1.
Preparing the sculpture for casting with a circular cardboard barrier to prevent the silicone from flowing away
STEP 2.
The first coat of silicone is applied with a brush ensuring all detail is covered with no air bubbles
STEP 3.
The silicone is thickened and applied in a thick paste. Each layer is applied when the previous layer is touch dry.
STEP 4.
When the silicone is an inch thick it is left to fully cure and dry for several days
STEP 5.
The silicone mould is cut at the back with a sharp scalpel, in a zig zag style, to release the statue inside
STEP 6.
Powdered bronze is applied to the inner surface of the mould before adding a mix of 70% bronze powder suspended in 30% resin
STEP 7.
The statue is released from the mould, then the final and 7th step is to lightly sand and polish the figurine to reveal the beautiful deep golden sheen of the bronze.
