Mitton Theme Design

La Esmeralda.
Photo by Silver Pearl Photography.

I am now finishing the details. The basic sculpt has been completed for some time but it was the skin details and questions of how I am going to make the mold and cast the various parts.
I have begun yesterday to solve the final details on the actual wall mounting method. This will be a working light fixture. Therefore while that ‘boss cover’ will help hide the mounting, those details neeed to be worked out. Some of the curse of being a sculptor is those methods come to you during the middle of the night.

Ok I need feed back. If I spend the time and money to finish these is there a market? They would run close to 1000. Resin and silicone are out if site and that would effect the finial price. Wired and ready to install conventional socket.

Occasionally I get to do work that requires multiple items. Rarely is there money to make a production mold. I tend to make molds that ‘will work’ for a short time. After 4 or 5 pulls I have made the parts that I need. No that is not what you were taught, but earning a living from art requires you to to find ways that keep the cost down. It is not a hobby or a scource if entertainment. Produce your concepts the way your skill level allows, but push yourself!

Occasional for Rich at prop source I create missing pieces. Here there was no foot board and one side rail was missing. His projects are always challenging. He gives me a box full of urn pieces and ask if I can make the missing parts and and you know make it look ….right. Sometimes I can…. Sometimes, not so much.

Sometimes it is the small simple reposition of a tool. Move the Band saw 90 degrees around a post. I was having an occasional long piece of material not have outfeed room.
It worked. However when I tried that on the next post where there were several tools it did not give me any difference. Moving paper cut outs on a drawing does not always work. The tools all have casters so the moving is not the problem.

Over the next few months I am going to look at changing my shop layout. While it looks impressive, a big project want fit. So I am going to consider which machines and where they are located that I really use.

My last day and my first day at Regency display division of Walt Disney World experience. I started by sanding on the Cheshire Cat for a week. Working at a downdraft table using among other things, a very small pneumatic belt sander. Applying very small mixes of bondo and getting the surface perfect. It was a casting in a fire retardant resin that had a mold seam and a few shrink spots. Then I coated with a polyester filler primer. All of this was a totally new experience. Over the next few months that every increasing know flow continued. During my last week I worked with gatorfoam, which I had used and a special very quick set epoxy putty. Old and new skills blended constantly there.
But my son was about to be born and during that time when I need permanent employment they only were offering Casual Temporary Jobs.
So I returned to Ruston Louisiana and quickly took The Woodchuck Carving Company to a national market. Only in reflecting back on that time can I totally appreciate what a life changing time that it was.