Monthly Archives: June 2015

Art Doll Motorcycle III

More Parts and Pieces

The little motorcycle sculpture is now ready for its art doll riders.  This past week I added all the remaining parts and pieces that a motorcycle enthusiast would expect to find.  The art doll riders will sit on their padded “leather” seat and grip copper, hardware, and polymer clay handlebars. The addition of a button shaped brad gas cap, knee guards, tank rondel, a glass gem headlight, and brass brad gauges complete this miniature steampunk machine.

steampunk mixed media motorcycle sculpture ready for art doll riders

motorcycle is ready for art doll riders

Now the Riders

As with most of my art dolls, the riders will start in my metal studio where I will hammer out their faces from a circle of copper stock. They are on the bench awaiting some sanding and polishing. In the meantime, I got started on twisting together the dolls’ wire skeletons.   Here you see the beginning of the driver sitting on the cycle.

wire frame of driver on cycle

wire frame of driver

Last Chance to See Art Dolls

art doll Media at HGA

Three of my art doll pieces in “Our Art Is…”

This is the last weekend for my featured artist show, “Our Art Is…“, with painters Eduardo Lapetina and Pat Merriman at the Hillsborough Gallery of Arts.  The show runs through Sunday.  It has been a fun show with lots of wonderful feedback. Several of the dolls will be making their way to their new homes when the next featured artist show installs on Monday.

 

Art Doll Motorcycle II

Last week I shared WIP (work in progress) images of my current art doll sculpture.  The motorcycle for the sculpture is almost ready for its riders.  Here are a few more images of the motorcycle as it came together.

Parts and Pieces

Art doll motorcycle gains gas tank and motor

More parts added to art doll motorcycle

Here the frame gains a gas tank, engine block and some exhaust pipes.  I like the play of the different materials for each part. I enjoy the way it helps each part to pop more than if I fashioned the whole sculpture from copper.

Art doll motorcycle ready to get a concrete base

. Ready to gain a base

Next the tiny cycle gained some aluminum wheels with wooden hubs, and some copper handlebars. After a bit of grinding and cleaning the wheels were wired and attached to some hardware cloth for setting in a concrete base.  This will both anchor the piece firmly in its base, and provide reinforcement for the concrete.

Art doll motorcycle set in concrete base

Cycle curing in concrete base

Now some waiting for the base to dry and cure.  Next the piece will come inside for addition of details like a stitched seat, handle bar grips, headlight, gauges, gas cap …

This is a piece that is most definitely a collection of details. I can’t wait to get started on the riders.

Say hi and let me know what you think

Art Doll Motorcycle

I recently started working on a piece with two of my art doll figures having an adventurous ride on a motorcycle.  Though I’ve created a number of art dolls and figure sculptures that were perched on bicycles, this is my first riding a motorcycle.

I have been having fun so far researching and sketching the particular type of motorcycle, and then stylizing it into my steampunk interpretation.  There are a obviously a few more components than a bicycle to incorporate in to ensure it represents one particular type of machine over another.

First I braised together the basic motorcycle frame and produced a couple of types of wheel choices.

beginning copper frame for doll sized motorcycle and wheels of electrical conduit

Beginning of fame and conduit wheels

The most labor intensive process so far has been hand hammering out the two fenders.  Blacksmith and body shops have power hammers and english wheels to shape and smooth these types of parts. I found myself wishing I could find a Tinkerbell sized version of both to work with for these.

hammering copper fender for art doll sized motorcycle

Hammering out front fender

I added the fenders, wheel mounts, and springs. Next up will be handlebars, motor, and gas tank. I’ll do my best to take photos along the way.

copper cycle frame with fenders and springs

Frame with fenders and springs