Commission of Spaniel Portrait Statue

Jasper Spaniel Statue Project

Jasper Spaniel Sculpture Project

Sculpture Commission process – Explanation by the Sculptress JOEL

The commission to achieve a life-size statue of a lovely dog called Jasper is a good example of the process involved to achieve such a portrait sculpture.

Site Visit

The first stage was to visit to meet with Jasper and discover his character, take lots of photographs and reference measurements. This is a good opportunity to hear from the family what they see in Jasper and his nature.

In the Photography Session Jasper was a star

Armature design and construction

The next step was to design and commission the main armature to support the clay sculpture. Once the steel curve was fabricated and fixed, I added the wire supports and framework. The main core of the body was built up and the positions of the legs and support for the head was all developed.

You can see the early application of clay continues to the and development of the top line followed by…

Months of clay work

You can see above the build up of main structure and development of musculature until I was ready to add the coat and details

Client visit to the Studio

We had some very successful visits to the studio by the clients and Jasper so that he could take part in actual sittings to achieve the fine details of his coat and character.

The clients had decided that they preferred the more cheerful expression of the mouth slightly opened and Jasper‘s characteristic smiling face.

The extra time involved was well worth it to achieve that particular expression so typical of this lovely dog

After the final work of the details of the coat and the expressions of the eyes and the satisfaction of the client the Jasper Clay was delivered to have the mould made and progress the project through the foundry.

Mould Making

The flexible vinyl rubber mould was carefully built up all over the detail of the sculpture and this flexible part always needs to be supported by the addition of a firm shell.

Once all the sections of the mould was finished, it was used to create the founder’s wax of Jasper. I then visited the foundry to check and work on this wax Jasper and make any details clear.

Details of the life sized statue of the dog, a spaniel by the Sculptress JOEL

Cast at the foundry

The sculpture went on through the foundry, the investment mould was built and the bronze poured. This sounds quick and easy, but I am grateful to all the skilled workers at the foundry who make all this happen.

After the long process to clean and fix the sculpture, the statue of Jasper was ready for its Patination.

The project needed to fit in with the client schedule and they requested that I also source stone base for the statue and to organise its mounting and delivery to their address. So after research I sourced a selection of stone to choose from that could be provided by a local Stone Quarry and Mason. I took photos of the Jasper Statue with the samples of stone next to the bronze so that the clients could choose their preference. Next came the trip to have the Stone company drill and help fix the Jasper dog statue to his stone base.

So finally, there came the champagne moment of Jasper statue, yes delivered by Joel ! With help on site we had a lovely reveal and the statue is at rest and looking magnificent in the garden of Jasper‘s home. Now to be enjoyed by the whole family as they celebrate life together and the lovely Jasper Spaniel.

Jasper and the clients and family were all impressed

The months of work on this project had turned into years to make sure that it fitted in with the schedule of the client, and the additions to the remit, but taking time and putting in the extra effort makes for an excellent finish and delighted clients.