Casting Organics

Students will bring in their own foraged pinecones, acorns, fibers, bark, succulents, and other natural objects. There will also be organic materials available to choose from.

On day one, we’ll add wax sprues and do wax repairs where appropriate, then prepare investment molds with the objects inside. After an overnight burnout in a kiln, we’ll cast our objects in bronze and learn about various polishing/finishing techniques.

• Wax sprueing
• Gauging appropriate thicknesses for casting
• Making investment molds
• Electromelt and crucible operation
• Casting technique
• Finishing and polishing

16+ age minimum.

• Wax
• Investment
• Bronze
• Polishing equipment
• Access to A2's Casting shop and tools for the duration of the session.

• Closed-toe shoes
• Foraged organic objects for casting (ideally small and dry)

16+ age minimum

Eli is a metal artist and casting instructor at Artisans Asylum in Boston. He studied geology and studio art in college.

He enjoys casting in bronze, making steel and stone botanical sculptures, and forming sheet metal into functional forms. He draws inspiration from spending time in nature and from childhood memories of people, landscapes, and animals. He likes learning about and visualizing biological processes and geographic features in his art.