Bronze Statues & Public Sculptures

 The College of Engineering

RIT, Rochester,NY

Figurative Sculptures
These are normally based off live models or photographs or even Don Sottile's imagination. Sculptures are primarily bronze or carved wood.

Bronze
The original image is created in oil-based clay called plasticine, which is often created over a steel armature. Once the final clay is finished, plaster molds are made, sometimes in segments that give a negative of the original positive.

Wax is cast into the plaster mold that reproduces the original image again. The casting wax is finished and gated (like plumbing) providing channels for molten bronze.  

The wax positive then has an investment mold cast around it.  This mold with wax is placed in a kiln and the wax is burned out, giving access channels where the wax once was for the bronze to be poured into mold.

 After the bronze cools, the investment is broken away and the gating cut off. In some cases, Don welds cast parts together then finishes the surfaces, grinding and polishing. 

Public sculpture
Large outdoor pieces are typically done in bronze and exist for the ages. Interior pieces can often be done in wood. Don's past work includes larger than life-size statues such as Abe Lincoln and Kate Gleason, The Madonna and child and other famous subjects.

 Sottile Studio

  "Our Lady of Walsingham" carved solid mahagany, life size

Trinity Church

Seneca Falls, NY

Spring

Solitary

Summer

Wood
These pieces are often speculative, and frequently pieces for galleries. Wood carvings may be 6 to 8 inches to life size. The wood carving begins with a pencil drawing to a 3-D clay figure.