Final piece with coat of wax
Application of acid to darken the bronze
Heating up sandblasted sculpture in preparation for patina application
All put together and ready to be sandblasted
Getting ready to weld on the bandolier of ammunition
Welding the machine gun on to the main sculpture
Bringing back lost details
Chipping ceramic mold material from all the nooks and crannies
Breaking the moldA sculpture that I've been working on for quite a long time was finally cast and finished this week. It depicts a Marine machine gunner shouldering a M240G at the moment he's stepping off for another assault. The primary job of this Marine is to establish a base of fire for his platoon by laying down a steady stream of suppressive 7.62 cal. rounds. Each fire team of 4 Marines has a light weight SAW (squad automatic weapon) that fires the lighter 5.56 cal. bullet. The 240 Gulf gunner provides a bigger punch and a longer range. It's also a far heavier weapon's system for the Marine to hump day in and day out. This piece stands 24" high and weighs about 50 lbs.
5 comments:
I recently heard your interview with Dick Gordon on The Story radio program. As a fellow artist I was really moved to hear and now see how you have been creating works of beauty and art in the middle of war. Your work is extraordinary. I send you my greatest compliments and highest respect, sir. Thank you for sharing your artist's view of these times.
Very Best Regards,
Nathanael Lark
The whole process of creating a bronze is amazing and something I would love to do someday. The detail to your bronze is great. I love the way you were able to show the emotion of the soldier.
That is a really fantastic sculpture!
I've been wanting to create a sculpture of a Canadian Soldier in Kandahar on patrol and had thought of how heavy the gear must be to carry for the troops especially in the dessert heat...
I think your sculpture really does a fantastic job of capturing the Marine having to hump that weight under very hot conditions under the Iraq sun...
Congratulation on your artwork in general. I saw you on the Pentagon channel news and think it is fantastic what you guys are doing.
Your work is unique and very much appreciated. I can barely draw stick figures, so am glad that such gifts are within your genetic pool. smile
Tammy
Mike, your work is as magnificent as ever!
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