3-D Sculpture in Wood - Finished Project

The final sculpture is 24”x18”x17” was made of 1/4” six sided wood pieces with 1/8” slots. The pieces varied in size from 2” to 8” and were painted using a combination of chrome, metallic purple and mat purple spray paint. The pieces were connected at the slots using titebond wood glue.

The inspiration behind the original shape and the final piece was to use repetition of shapes and pattern based on the conceptual idea of developing crystals. The overall goal was to develop a piece that appeared to be growing and changing over time. The varying sizes within the piece give the impression of older more developed structure and the smaller branches imply growth and development. The final shape was developed through multiple iterations of combining pieces with varying slot placement and attaching them to the larger base pieces in order to determine what would result in the most visually pleasing and organic final shape. The paints were used individually as well as in combination on pieces so that there is never a single color visible from any angle, similar to the color variation you would see in actual crystals.

If I had more time, I would like to touch up some of the edges of the piece that needed to be sanded a little more, and I would like to add a clear gloss polyurethane coat over the entire sculpture as I think it would add to the shine produced by the metallic paint. I would like to reinforce some of the joints with additional wood glue (or possibly another type of adhesive) to make them more stable for movement as there are still a few pieces that shift and rotate when the piece is moved.

The most challenging part of the assignment was disassembling the piece to paint it and then attempting to reassemble it in its original conformation. It took the better part of two full days to work through the process. The wood glue was not quite as tacky as I had anticipated so it took longer to get the pieces together solidly enough to stay in place to add them to other pieces. I developed a mapping method that allowed me to take strings of pieces off and to be able to put them back together after they were painted. I had to develop a great deal of patience in order to get the pieces stabilized enough for the glue to hold, but once I got into a rhythm with it it became easier.

Overall I’m really happy with the end product of this piece and I really enjoyed the process.