the art of making Fibre concrete scuplture

The art of working with sculptures In Fiber concrete.

A simple & Experimental Sculpture magazine of Frank Fenriz

This is a book about the possibilities for artistic work in fiberconcrete, in a smaller size.

It has many advantages, its outdoor weatherproof, strong and should not be burned.

In many situations, replace clay, and give other options. Since it can bind to almost everything, there is also opportunities to use it with many other materials, which makes it possible that make very interesting combinations and bold shapes.

Form Mortar also known as fiber concrete, and can be obtained as normal form in fiberconcrete - which is good for large sculptures, where there required lots strength, and it is available as an Fin FormMortar, which may be the outermost layer on the a large sculpture, or as a single layer on a smaller.

Sculptures in Fine Form Mortar different methods, with different materials

Fine Form mortar can adhere to almost all materials The following pages show some examples: 1) on styrofoam (polystyrene) 2) together with wood and plastic 3) on wood 4) on aluminum 5) on granite 6) a portrait head of flamingo 7) a portrait made of aluminum 8) Fin Form Mortar spent as "Clays modeling" 9) Painting and patina.

10) Installation 11) how to make a repair in Fine Form Mortar

A shape can be cut out directly in 10 cm polystyrene (styrofoam) plate and the be coated with Fin Form Mortar: .

Make a sketch and then transfer it on the polystyrene plate.

Draw the most notable side and cut it first, then start cut from the other side and remove the major parties without going into detail.

When the figure is fairly detailed, coated it with Fin Shape mortar dries, sand, may be imposed. new layer, and you make it final finish.

polyurethane foam Allows you to create a stronger - and more exactly - underlying skeleton.

.

Figure Parts carved from polyurethane, provides a good opportunity that modify the layout, Can be assembled temporary, with a stiff wire, and when you're happy, more strongly with Glue, duct tape and aluminum strips.

it is possible to gather wood, natural objects and plastic with fiber concrete

Here is the wooden figure assembled, and fitted with folded iron plate, around the tree which, together with fiber concrete, makes the figure strong.

You can also "Sample" plastic toy with natural objects and reuse Barbi & action men toys.

Important: There must be a few cm's overlap with fiber concrete, the figure becomes strong enough.

Wood coated with Fin Shape Mortar "Natural Improvements": You can continue working on a piece tree with an interesting shape, as a base for a sculpture.

The parts can be assembled with metal pieces and mounted with screws. The figures can be coated with different colored shapemortar and thereby get a "natural" surface.

Figurines made of an aluminum skeleton You can draw a simple "flat" character, which one makes incuts, for example. to its knees, elbow, etc. in order to better being able to bend the figure in "natural" joints.

Once the shape has been folded with curves, it can be in an appropriate position, and you can put styrofoam blocks in where you want more "body volume".

This can be secured with duct tape or aluminum foil.

NB: aluminum sheet in 0.5 mm thickness can be found at all "wellstocked recycling centers" as part of freezers, refrigerators, and Port parts, - and someone times in plates, sheets.

It is a very well-suited material for the sculpture, since it is easy, to fold and cut in while it gets a fair great strength by being folded a few times and it will not rust.

granite On a polystyrenform, you can make a portrait with stone chippings as a "mosaic".

You can also make a metal skeleton, and the paste stones in the fiber concrete .

It's good to color the mortar, so it appears more natural.

Remember that the stones must not protrude too far, for not the adhesion should be too bad.

Portrait head You could sculpt a portrait head in Fine Form Mortar, over a polystyrenskelet.

You can cut a profile into 10 cm polystyrene foam, glue two halves on each side, cut, put in Fine Form mortar, grind , and the cutting details in addition.

Complete the last layer with Fin Shape mortar.

Portrait of folded aluminum plate as a substrate

You can use aluminum plate as a substrate - bend, shape and cut it.

The nose can be preferred over and shaped.

There clipped checkmark in order to better to be able to folding the plate in the the right angles.

Then a layer of mortar Fin Shape of 2-5 mm, - it dries - then they are cut and there met another layer on.

NB: see the head finished the painting and patinating

Fin Form Mortar spent as "Clays modeling"

By using thin aluminum (or iron) plate, and lay crumpled newspaperon both sides, and assemble it with aluminum foil, you can get acharacter who experienced a little "clay-like" to work with.

One can easily set the figure in various poses - and when you're satisfied, you can choose to reinforce with duct tape.

In the final setup I chose a technically difficult task. : Making an Angel with concrete wings.

From aluminum foil substrate to form the first mortar layer, the preparatory holes for wings.

The wings are cut from thin aluminum plate, and when combined withaluminum foil, you get a very vivid form The wings are temporary fixed With aluminum foil support, reinforced with Aluminum or polyurethane blocks

An abstract sculpture plate: The plate is cut, shaped and Collected and amplified if necessary, with Duct Tape.

For the more complex shaped parts used aluminum foil,Coated with thin layers of fine form mortar

Painting & patination Formmørtlen can be painted with all standard colors - But if it is to be outdoors the paint shall be diffusion open. Color Powder for this can be bought in DIY stores, and mixed with concrete bind, or mørtelmix mixed with ædel puds

To conclude this Figures, I have chosen turpentine based asphalt , laquer which gives a good depth of colour.

Such a "bronze figure" can be a model for a real Casting, because it gives a fairly clues about how it will end up look like.

but remember real bronze is much more beautiful. getting advice from a good bronzecasting craftman

I The first painting you can mix the powder, or as here, with ocher yellow and leave it bright.

You can also use the light color as A base for a patina (picture 2) where you put a darker color on top, and the remote is the highlight spots.

It is Important that the color is not bright in the figure of the natural shadows, as it wil look false and unnatural. You can do the same with shoes polish: first light so dark - and it can be really beautiful. Graphite is another livery option: It will be beautiful grayish black.

You can make a reasonable lifelike "bronzering" With Bronze metal filler from danlube mixed with mortar mix ædelpuds However, it is a lot of work: have to Polish up after painting is dry.

mounting Installation can be done at a wooden board, but if the figure is set be outdoors, it is better to create a base of chicken networks and normal form mortar (for strength) covered with Fine Form mortar (to finish). It is also important for a good reinforcement, properly Connected to base.

For more complicated places with Bends, it is easier to mill A trench, and forming a reinforcement, either a metal wire (12 mm) or an aluminum or Iron plate that is placed in the figure

When there is access to make a straight Reinforcement, it is made by drilling a hole From the bottom . This must be a third of in the figure length, For maximum strength.

Reinforcement "foot" Take an aluminum or iron plate, and cut a cone out, as the first image. The top has the desired length in the figure, and it is bent by incut and Bent at the dotted line. (Picture 2), - the bottom of the plate is bent now horizontal, (Fig. 3), - possibly. drilled holes to screw in the plate. If you want extra high strength, one can Use iron plate, and welding it at a fixed angle.

Repairment Sooner or later damage can occur - by accident, overload, or by an inadequate reinforcement on the exposed places.

Sometimes you also just want to change sculpture.

A repair is relatively simple, as it repairs the Fine FormMortar with Fin Shape mortar.

The easiest way is to mill a groove with a mortar rake (also called multi-cutter) with diamond inserts (see picture nextpage) , it can also be obtained very cheaply. In the middle image is first shown how to milling joint (approximately4-6 mm deep), and thus can put iron armor or aluminum.

In the same way accessories may be fitted the figure down into theits base,, with reinforcement elapsing from the figurative to the base.

The same figure is, moreover, starting the combination of be theamended, as you can see on the top two images, from its original position by "crack" formmørtlen at the joints that would have changed position, and then coat it with the form mortar and reinforce it.

At the bottom picture you can see most of the different tools, you can work in formmørtelen with.

The sculptures are made with Gazelle Fine Form Mortar There is a forming special mortar with cement and polypropylene fibers. It can be used for small sculptures, stucco or other places where the finer details to be formed.

It can also be used as a capping layer on the outside of Gazelle Form Mortar EAC IIIv, or alone at different surface materials such as polystyrene, nets, nonwovens, wood,metal, etc..

To establish a maximum Fine form the mortar in a layer of 3-5 mm if you use it alone. If used as a capping layer on the outside of Gazelle FormMortar you can put it in all thicknesses and sizes. P.gr.a. the high content fiber product does not crack after the annealing, but remains stable even under severe vibration and temperature turudsvingninger.Gazelle Fine Form mortar is water resistant, frost resistant diffusion.

Frank Fenriz Artist and teacher with more than. 25 years experience www.frankfenriz.dk & frank fenriz picasa

For information and purchsse contact Camilla Mehl Laurvig

Danteam Gazelle Fiberbeton ApS - Frøbjergvej 52, 5560 Aarup - Tlf: 66 15 94 45 - E-mail: info@gazelle-fiberbeton.dk