Martin Paul Gonzales
Martin is a native Satna Fe artist. A long-time foundry worker with over 20 years experience, Martin learned all aspects of the lost wax process during his employement at Weston Studio Foundry in Santa Fe, New Mexico. There he also had the oppotunity to work on art pieces by nationally recognized artists Glenna Goodacre, Star Iliana York and many others. While Martin attended Christ for the Nations in Dallas, TX he also worked at the Schaefer Art Bronze Casting in Arlington.
His favorite high school subjects of wood shop, welding, machine shop and art classes inspired his love for creating things with his hands. Now Martin uses his combined foundry experience and God-given talents to create unique bronze items of function using the lost wax process-- lamps and geometrice flower vases -- and detailed sculpture, bas reliefs and ornaments which convey his love of New Mexico.
His favorite high school subjects of wood shop, welding, machine shop and art classes inspired his love for creating things with his hands. Now Martin uses his combined foundry experience and God-given talents to create unique bronze items of function using the lost wax process-- lamps and geometrice flower vases -- and detailed sculpture, bas reliefs and ornaments which convey his love of New Mexico.
Bronze Sculpture and the Lost Wax Process
The lost wax process of producing bronze sculpture dates back over 4000 years. In the lost wax process of bronze casting, multiple coats of rubber are applied to the artist's original, usually made of clay, to make a mold. The mold is a perfect negative of the original work. Melted wax is poured into the mold and swirled around making a thin impression of the sculpture. The mold is then separated leaving a positive wax model of the sculpture. The artist touches up this wax blank or dresses it, adding additional detail, removing seam lines and bubbles in the wax' surface. Spues and vents of wax are attached to the wax model to allow for the smooth flow of the molten bronze and to allow gases to escape. This wax positive of the original is covered with a slurry of silica flour, distilled water and an adhesive agent, covered by layers of silica sand. The first layer being a fine sand to pick up all of the detail. The following dips are gradually getting coarser sand, creating a strong shell. The shell is then heated to melt out the inner wax (thus the lost wax process), leaving a hard, heat resistant mold with all the detail of the original into which the hot bronze is poured.