How To Make a Concrete Statue

 

If you love working in concrete you will enjoy this process.  It is hand-built over an armature with embedded glass and a crown.  These look great standing at attention by your front door or as a garden keeper in your garden.

These are some of the tools you will need.  Carbide file, file, ruler, spray oil, duct tape, rasp, knives, scissors, steel wire, glass nippers.  Others not pictured: glass cutter, MORTAR MIX, water, 2 1/2" PVC pipe, large construction bucket, colored glass to embed, shapes to press into the wet concrete.

 

 

Using a hacksaw or Dremel cutting tool, cut the first 3" off the construction bucket.  This will be your mold for the base for your statue.  Place the rim on a board lined with heavy plastic.  Spray the interior with oil and tape here and there with duct tape so the edges don't move.  You will get a little leakage but don't be alarmed, this can be scraped off later.

Mix a batch of mortar mix to make the base.  Pour into the rim about 1 1/2" high.  Let sit for awhile, maybe a half hour, then stand the 2-foot length of PVC pipe into the center of the concrete.  Make sure your pipe is standing straight (you can use a level).  Cover with plastic and check in awhile to make sure the pipe hasn't moved.  Leave overnight.

Next day, unmold your concrete base.  Clean up the edges if necessary with the rasp.  Add pieces of foam or any rigid plastic to build up your shape on the PVC.  You can wrap some steel wire to make the collar at the neck.  Use liquid nails to secure all these pieces and leave overnight.

The next day you will want to wrap your foam and other added shapes with some wire.  This gives the concrete something to stick to.  Mix a batch of mortar mix.  From that scoop out a little in a cup and add water to it to make your slurry.  Use an old paintbrush to brush the slurry onto all parts of your armature.  Now you are ready to apply your first layer of mortar mix.  Make a patty, press onto the armature, layer the next overlapping this one.  Refine your shape as best you can but if pieces start to fall off, just leave it alone!

Cover with plastic overnight.

 

Next day, uncover, use the rasp, knives, file to refine your shape.  Hose down your piece, coat with slurry.  Mix up your mortar and add your second layer. This is the layer into which you will embed your glass and crown so make the layer thick enough.  Also, with the head, allow enough mortar so you can carve some away for the hair.  Embed your glass after about 1/2 hour so it doesn't rise back at you.  Don't worry at this point about the concrete mess on the glass.  Let it sit two hours, wipe off the glass pieces with a damp sponge.  Next day you can clean it up better.  After about 1/2 hour you can also incise the hair with a sharp stick and stamp your designs into the 'skirt'.  Cover with plastic and let sit overnight.  Next day, uncover and hose it down and file away to refine your shape. You can use the carbide file to refine or a stiff brass brush or even the rasp will work at this point.  The longer the piece cures, the harder it is to work on so try to get all your work done this first day after completion. Clean off the glass pieces.  This can be done with a wet cloth or a stiff brush.  Hose down and cover with plastic every day for a week. 
Then take your little statue around to see where she will look best in your yard!
Any questions, just send me an email at: whitebranchstudios@comcast.net