Limited Edition Casts
I’ve had limited edition Jesmonite casts made of three of my recent carvings. They’re now available for sale in the shop! Keep reading to find out about the process.
Why Cast Your Work
Stone carving is an incredibly time-consuming craft. I love the process, party due to this slow place. However, the pace makes it difficult to generate enough income.
In the same way that artists sell prints of their works, sculptors sell casts of theirs.
I am hugely excited about this new side to my business. I can use the original carving to make multiple casts. The best part is I can employ someone else to make them!
Busy carving in my workshop, using a traditional style mallet and chisel.
New skills
I find I have to be proficient in many different areas when running my craft business. Unfortunately I sometimes feel I don’t get to spend enough time actually carving.
For example, I’m just about to ship a piece of work to Finland. This means I need to learn about new Brexit rules and shipping costs. I also need to research insurance for shipping artwork and what type of packing to use. I decided it would be safest in a wooden box, so I’ve made that too! (wood working skills aren’t usually my forte!)
Casting is certainly a highly skilled art in itself. Employing a master in the field allows me to offer a high-quality product that I’m proud of. This allows me to spend more time actually carving!
I was really exciting unwrapping the casts! This is Peace sitting on my workshop bench
New Avenues
I always want to push my business forwards, so I have invested time recently learning about marketing and business skills.
I now understand the benefit of offering a broader range of products. Selling casts also allows me to offer work to suit different price brackets. I hope this will make my work attractive to a wider audience.
I would also like to show my work in shops and galleries etc. Having casts available allows me to approach new places without worrying about taking away from the collection of work I’m building for a solo exhibition.
The cast of Breath sitting on a kitchen shelf
What is Jesmonite?!
Jesmonite is a non-toxic, water-based resin, which is made up of 2 parts – a mineral resin powder and an acrylic liquid. It is used extensively in the building trade as an alternative to fibre-glass. It is often refered to as ‘faux stone’ becasue it looks so similar from a distance.
Jesmonite is incredibly strong and can be poured into mould making it very versitle. It is also a viable alternative to traditional stone as it is very lightweight and durable outdoors.
Why chose to use it for my Limited eition casts?
I really wante a durable high quality product which looks similar to stone. Although Jesmonite is expensive it is also suitable for outdoors, reflecting the qualities of my original carvings.
I’ve chosen to start with a buff coloured Portland limestone affect, but I’m excited to try ones which mimic bronze too.
How many in the limited edition?
I have chosen to do a limited edition run of 20 casts of each design. This helps me cover the costs of the original mould, whilst not producing so many that I devalue them.
I now have three diferent designs available to buy in my shop. They come ready to hang with fixings in the back. Each one has a certificate of authenticity and is numbered and signed.
The first five casts of each design have an introductory 20% discount, so get buying! I am having more casts of my recent carvings made later this year. Please sign up to my newsletter If you’d like to be the first to know about them.
This is the Jesmonite cast of Amar looking lovely against the Farrow and Ball paint!
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