The Process
The next step is the work of a
professional mold maker, who carefully produces a latex mold of the clay and wax sculpture,
which is then covered by a heavier layer of plastic or fiberglass. A new wax model is
produced in this mold which Gamble can then finish and perfect.
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The process
begins with a type of plasticized clay in which a mold is created in the basic shape of
the sculptures. To this rudimentary form a special wax is added, blended in its viscosity
to hold up in the wide scope of seasonal temperatures common to the Arizona region where
Mr. Gamble lives and works. It is to this wax layer that Gamble adds the detail of his
piece.
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 And then it's off to the
foundry for the casting in bronze, yielding a series of sculptures which comprise an
"edition." These sculptures are then finished or "chased," a tedious
process of fine tuning the cast pieces, filling in little pits and filing off any seams
and other marks left by the mold. And finally they are polished to enhance the true color
of the bronze.
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