Anne m. Hart- Artist Statement

It begins in the dark, that the spark can be revealed to the creator. For me this stage is the most exciting. The idea is formed. Then I draw, and do so until I know my subject. I transfer the final drawing to the clay and build up the dimensions. The more I sculpt the more I enjoy doing so the next time. My practice over the past years has given me confidence. I am able to execute my intention with more accuracy and ease. Working at the foundry and seeing the limitations and just where bronze reproduction gets difficult, has informed my sculpting style. I now sculpt to make future steps in the process easier, for me and other foundry craftsmen.

After the sculpting is complete there are many steps to arrive at the finished bronze. 1st a mold is made, of a rubbery consistency and supported by another that is rigid. The mold is poured in wax and gated. The art is then dipped and coated with glass/sand until a shell is formed, drying in between each coat.

When the shell is dry, the wax is burned out. Molten bronze is poured into the hot shell. When cooled the shell is carefully knocked off and the work sandblasted. The gates are burned off with a torch. The art is welded to fill pits and repair flaws. And tooled in metal to match the
original piece. Finally the patina artist lays on the desired color and clear coat and the bronze reproduction is finished.

The spark, the heat, the furnace, the torch, the flame, is what is used to create something that can last generations, even ages. The desire to create burns with in us as artists. We must release it. To deny ourselves the expression, is to inhibit our growth and bind the blossoming of our purpose here. This light, this spark, is what makes our connection possible.

Thank you, Anne m. Hart