George Foster specializes in copper sculpting using hammered copper, mica and glass. Due to his fascination for the ocean and all things related to the sea, Foster sculpts copper sconces called sea-lights--a play on the words sea life. They are beautiful and radiant functional sculptures, cleverly hand formed into the shapes of fish, sand dollars and seashells. Foster's magical sea-lights reflect the wonders and beauty of the ocean and an outward appreciation for that life. If his art brings awareness of the ocean to the viewer, he feels he has done his job.
Living on the ocean shores, Foster actually processes his copper in a bonfire on the beach. He starts by roughing out a copper sheet into a fish form using sheers. Then he builds his bonfire and places the copper sheet into the flames for about 20 minutes, or until the copper is glowing. He pulls the copper out of the fire using tongs and then submerges it into the cold seawater for a few seconds. Doing this halts the chemical reaction, and the metal is annealed. It is now soft and pliable.
Back in the studio, Foster softens the sharp edges of the piece by rolling them back with pliers, a hammer and an anvil. Then he uses a mallet to hammer the copper using a sandbag underneath it to form the initial shape. Details such as gills, fins, mouth and tail are then formed with a chisel and a mallet. Sometimes the details require additional copper pieces, which are fused to the body by way of soldering. Drill bits are used for more detail work, such as scales and teeth. An eye is created to fit into an opening he has created on the face. The eye is made of glass. He fires the glass in a kiln and attaches it to the opening while it is still hot, with glue and another piece of metal. Then the fish is either painted, treated with an acid patina, or a combination of both. Either exotic paper or colorful mica is applied to the fins and tales using glue or brackets. If using paper, Foster will treat it with an acrylic for durability. The lighting fixture is formed with its own copper bracket and attached to the fish.
Guests George Foster
Artist
Sealight Gallery
Del Mar, CA
Phone: 858-755-5421
Toll-free Phone: 800-808-7352
E-mail:
gfoster324@aol.com
Website:
sealightgallery.com
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