Monday, June 9, 2008

Untitled Bronc Buster - I've come up with a title - BRONC STOMPER

Was watching the movie "Monti Walsh" staring Tom Selleck, yesterday. In this movie, he was trying to get a job on a ranch as a bronc buster, or as they called it, "Bronc Stoper." I love the phrase, so I did a bit of research on the web to see if that was an actual term from the 1800's, and found that it was. So This is the new title for this bucking horse piece.
The light was off of my wax yesterday and so while I was waiting for the wax to soften, I started to work on small details of the saddle. I literally build up a saddle from the wooden saddle tree. To make the leather parts, I use a pasta machine to roll out my wax. Yeah a pasta machine. It's a great tool. Dennis Harrington an artist friend of mine showed this trick a couple of years ago. Sorry Dennis for giving away your secret here... lol



I cut out the fenders for the saddle and then straps for the stirrups. Now I put them together.


Melting glue wax (extremely sticky glue, used by foundries) and dripping it onto the end of the fender that will fit onto the saddle, I attach it to the saddle.




Now to create the metal rings encased in leather that are attached to the saddle, shown below in reference photo, I wrap a thin piece of wax around the bottom of the xacto knife handle. Turns out it's about the same diameter that the ring should be.




Now the wax has finally started to get soft enough to work with, so I start working on the muscles of the right rear flank, and leg.


Now I add the saddle to see how it looks on the horse.

That's it for today. Check back in tomorrow.