Amanda Hughes - Port Lympne Artist-in-Residence blog entry 10

26/09/11

After marrying the horns up to the sculpture, I realised they needed re-shaping and the main horn needed to be thinner, so with a little bit of trimming and adjustment, the horns were born!

I then proceeded to weld spigots onto the head for the horns to slot onto to hold them in place. All they need now is a little more drilling and then they should fit on a treat!

The body has been built up with more metal and the head stabilised with bridging steel work to carry the weight of the horns and a tail from chain has also been attached, which i will tack weld to give a better form and character.

The next mission is ears, I will be using thin mild steel sheet for this and I shall contact my friend who is a fabricator to play with plasma cutters and benders
...ears to be continued...

Amanda x

Amanda Hughes - Port Lympne Artist-in-Residence blog entry 9

20/09/11

Project Rhino Horn!

I have found the perfect shape for the Rhino horns which i want to be carved from wood. There is a stump of an old Oak tree that had fallen in the 1987 hurricane which has the right form to work with and also a fallen giant, like the species of the Black Rhino.

Using the sawing skills of my father, we have extracted the required shapes from the root; the wood is beautifully seasoned and very hard!

To get the right size I traced the shape from my scale drawing, which the Rhino was built from.  I then used my father's carpentry knowledge to jigsaw, axe and plane the shape of the horns.

This part is quite an exciting turning point as this is the unique attribute of the Rhino and the reason the species is in decline, due to the poaching of them for their horns.

I am aiming to get the shape as close to Rukwa's as I can.  The material has worked well as the horn and the root both have a fibrous texture. The next job is to make sure it is the right shape and size, then attach it...

Amanda x

Amanda Hughes - Port Lympne Artist-in-Residence blog entry 8

10/09/11

This week I have had to step up the pace a bit, due to the real Rhino's need to go inside to sleep over the wintertime.

I have started filling out the Rhino's form and building the head; this part is where the sculptures real character becomes apparent.

Then the next plan of action is to apply a wooden set of horns, a chain tail and some flat steel ears.

Once this is done the sculpture will be weaved with Hazel whips, foraged from the Zoo parks very own plantation, which is used for browsing fauna to feed the animals, including the Rhino's themselves...quite appropriate for the piece really!

The Rhino's need this type of browsing to keep them healthy, as the tannin in the bark stops them from getting liver problems which are bought on by the climate where they live.

Once this is in place the Rhino Sculpture will be moved towards Basecamp, which is next to the field where Rukwa lives, who the piece was based on, in preparation for the exhibition to take place in October.

Amanda Hughes - Port Lympne Artist-in-residence blog entry 7

Friday 02/09/11

The Rhino sculpture is progressing well, it is beginning to have more form to it and with a little help from the resident welder at Port Lympne, I have steel foot plates that have been plasma cut into the shape of the Rhino's footprints. This gives the piece greater stability and spreads the weight of the sculpture evenly.

The public are showing more interest now and I have started displaying images within my sketchbook whilst I am working, and I have only quashed one child's dream of seeing a Real Rhino in the Rhino Shed this week ... the signs seem to be helping!... although I do smell like one by the end of the day, which is a small drawback of working in a Rhino's bedroom!

For the next stage of the build I need to go away and create some drawings of the head and neck to use as a stencil when bending the metal, as the Rhino's head is a very unique shape and will need a lot of thought put into it to get the anatomy correct and the character of the piece right before fabricating it into place.

Amanda x

Amanda Hughes - Port Lympne Artist-in-residence blog entries 5/6

24/08/11 Blog entry 5

Today, with the help of the Rhino keepers, I gained access to the shed where I will be working.

The shed is a good size and heated, so its a good space....although a bit aromatic from its last inhabitant Rhino!

I have decided on a Rhino standing with its head down, to aid balance of the sculpture, when it is made.

The next step is to draw out the image I want to base the sculpture on and put a grid over it to extend it onto larger paper. This takes a few hours to get the correct shape and form, it is important at this stage to get the lines right as this is essentially the foundations to the overall form of the piece.

Once drawn out it became apparent that the piece was a little over sized, so with a few tweaks I've got the height to 4'.5"-5' in height and 9' in length, now the lines are less elongated and how I want them.

For the size I have used a size chart that I found on the Internet, but after seeing the Rhino's close up, it seems captive bred species are slightly smaller...this benefits my building of the piece, as it will give the piece more stability and strength within the materials.

The Rhino shed doors are open for the public to view, but I dont seem to have the same impact as a Rhino... children expect a Rhino, but instead see a lady with a Rhino drawing... I have shattered some excited children's illusion of a Rhino in the shed...I must get the Rhino made soon to make up for this!!...and some signs!

Now to start bending metal..... to be continued....

Amanda x

25/08/11 Blog entry 6

Now comes the exciting bit!... drawing with steel, this is the part where the character of the animal starts to come alive.

I have an ambition to get the first lines set in place and it to be up on its feet by the end of today.

The shed now has a sign explaining who I am (Thank you Sam Harwood - Marketing) and people are taking more interest in what is going on...rather than looking for the Rhino!

I use a basic technique of bending steel bars by hand, this allows me to mimic the contours and curves of the animal by eye, not machine.

I create the outline form; like in a drawing, from the side.

Once this is complete, I think about how it will look from the front and rear view and the I build the form around this.

I form the metal bars into the lines of my 2D Rhino's design, I offer them up to the picture; to make sure I am creating the right shape. When I have a selection of steel lines, I then use my gasless MIG welder to spot-weld these into place, creating a 3D image (see below).

It was quite a struggle for me to get the piece up from the ground and I will need help with the next stage....bring on my glamorous assistant... he 6'5" and wears army boots.... Craig my partner!

I will return at the weekend to get the piece stable enough to start packing out its form in steel and create some feet plates.

Amanda x