Rosemary Cook works from life in clay, using drawings and photographs as reference material. The resulting pieces are produced in limited editions, either in bronze, following the traditional lost wax method, or in bronze resin, using the cold casting process, where no molten metal is involved.
COLD CAST BRONZE / BRONZE RESIN
When the clay model has been completed a mould is taken using silicone rubber, supported by a rigid glass fibre jacket. Powdered bronze, bound with resin, is poured directly into the mould, producing a cast with a subtle but liveley surface, responsive to both patination and weathering. Since no 'chasing back' is required, every mark the sculptor has made in the modelling is retained. The result is an uninhibited and expressive piece, capturing all the immediacy of the wet clay.
LOST WAX / BRONZE
Each bronze is individually cast using the lost wax process. Bronze editions are classed as an original due to the individual way it is made. The lost wax process starts with the artist creating an original clay model of the sculpture. A rubber mould is taken from this mould and then several layers of hot wax are poured into the mould creating a hollow wax replica of the sculpture. This wax cast of the sculpture is covered and filled with a plaster mix. The wax is melted away with the remaining void filled with molten bronze. The cooled piece then undergoes a process of cleaning, fettling and chasing. Finally the metal is patinated using chemical solutions to create differing effects and given a protective layer of polished wax resulting in a hollow bronze replica of the original clay.