Starlite Originals (Crystal Fox Gallery)

More Information about Starlite OriginalsGenesis, a division of Starlite Originals, Inc.
creates Fine Art Sculpture in the traditional Old World style. Created in Mixed Media® - the harmonious blending of precious metals and actual hot-torched acid patinas combined with LUCITE® that add rich color and texture - the Genesis foundry is able to bring an artist's vision - not just a privileged few - can enjoy the luxury of owning fine art. Genesis originals arrive at the foundry in the form of plastiline- the result of the artists'sculpting and resculpting, soft clay. From these originals, first-generation models are created. Each sculpture is sectioned into a myriad of component parts and placed into molds for the creation of individual cavities.Once these metals have solidified in the molds and are released, the component parts are welded together to form the final shape of the sculpture. Meticulous hand work with fine stainless steel tools recovers detail lost in the welding process. At that point, each original sculpture is bathed in hand-applied precious metals and various patinas, In finishing, the sculpture is hand-relieved with a combination of steel wool and sand to release the color and texture of the original metal form. In its final stages, the metal castings are embedded into the Lucite®. Once the Lucite® is baked and cured, its texture and visual appearance is very rough. Hours of painstaking hand polishing is then put into making the Lucite Crystal clear. FAQ: What are Starlite's sculptures made of?
All Starlite Originals sculptures begin from an original made of plastiline, the result of an artists' sculpting and resculpting soft clay. From these originals, first-generation models are created. Each sculpture is sectioned into a myriad of component parts and placed into molds for the creation of individual cavities. Starlite's scultptures are made from one or any combination of different materials. Such materials can be cateforized by bronze, pewter, Lucite, acrylic, porcelain, resin and wood.
Exactly What is Mixed Media®? It is a combination of various fine metals such as lost wax bronze, fine pewter, brass, copper, 24 karat gold vermeil and various hot torched acid patinas such as black nickel, rose copper, turquoise patinas to highlight the sculpture. In addition, the sculpture may contain embellishments such as Lucite®.
How Are The Sculptures Made?
The original sculpture is delivered to the foundry by the artist in the form of plasticine. Working models are created from the originals by Starlite master moldmakers. In the old world tradition, the master mold is then created. Once the mold is complete, molten metal is poured into the cavities in the mold and left to cool to room temperature. Each part is then removed from the mold, cleaned, assembled, and hand tooled until it looks exactly as the artist created it. The sculpture then goes through numerous metal plating and patina application steps, completing the Mixed Media® process.
What is a Patina? Is it Paint?
Patina is definitely not a paint. A patina is created by the application of certain chemicals which oxidize the metal during the hot-torching process. The combination of heat and acid etch into the metal, producing a rainbow of color finishes. The color produced by the patina becomes one with the metal.
What Is Lucite®? An optically clear, hand-crafted material that has the ability to be reformed into any desired shape. Several magnificent finishes-from crystal clear when polished, to a milky-white opaque when frosted can be achieved. It has the desirable characteristics of transparency and crystal clarity. Lucite® is also UV resistant.
What is an artist's proof?
A sculpture consists of many component pieces produced from master molds. After a time, a mold will "burn", or lose its detail. At this point, new molds are produced and first parts from these new molds are personally inspected and approved by the artisans. These personally approved sculptures, or "Artist Proofs", are used as working masters for Starlite craftsmen. The number of Artist Proof (AP) sculptures in an edition ranges from 10-15% of the edition size. Their scarcity makes them inherently more valuable and costly than their counterparts from the limited edition run (approximately 25% more). Some times an Artist proof sculpture is available for purchase. Artist proofs are numbered as follows: 13/50AP/500. This means that there are a total of 50 artist proofs (50 of 500 which is 10% of the edition.) and this particular sculpture is #13 of the 50 pieces.

Starlite Originals

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