Sunday, July 11, 2010

Art on Fire 2010

     Growing up as a little sister with a big brother can be a good thing.  As a little sister, you always know that your big brother is part Superman and can do anything.  Now that I am an adult, I have a great respect for my older brother and am very proud of him.  He has become a good man with a good family.  He works hard and is incredibly talented.  I wanted to take a few minutes and share some of that talent with you.
     A couple of weeks ago, I got to go watch my brother at his craft and in his element.  He has helped organize and been part of a local event for the last few years known as Art on Fire.  It is an iron pour.  Artists come from all over the state to pour molten iron into their molds they have made.The public gets to come watch and even be small part of it by carving their own mold, which is then poured by the team of artists.

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     I knew the basics of how this process worked but watching it in person was amazing.  I know it is fairly complicated and I don’t know all of the steps but here is my simple explanation.  The metal is heated to a molten mass over 3000 degrees Farenheit in a homemade kiln of sorts.  It is then poured into a lined bucket (concrete, I think) and from there poured carefully into a variety of molds and mold types.  After being allowed to cool, the molds are then broken to reveal the art.  The pictures do not in any way do it justice, but I still wanted to share a few.

     This was a truly unique experience and I was so glad we went and were part of it.  I was so proud of my brother, and to tell you the truth, deep down in my heart, I am still pretty certain he is part Superman.

1 comment:

  1. Let me know about that next year I would love to go!

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