|
|
|
Join or Renew using
John Wheeldon
Many years ago I had an urge to try my hand at making cast aluminum aircraft in the Art Deco style. Lacking the necessary skills to produce the required master patterns I sought out several patternmakers and model makers for quotes which frankly would have left me in the poor house in rapid order. What to do? Well, with no formal art training, just teach yourself new skills and have a go.
The same goes for the die-making, casting, finishing and mounting. It really is quite amazing what you can do once you get stuck in. Just don't look too often at the scrap pile; although I have been told that we learn from mistakes, I don't buy into that mantra too much.
Work for sale? I can often dig something out from under the bench but suffer from a strange malady: It may be a common ailment in the art community and maybe I should see if I am not alone. It seems that once I have a subject perfected, form, balance, scale, quality and so on, I move on to another type or without really wishing to sell what I have completed.
Commissions? I honestly don't have the time. A few years ago I took a big one on and I spent the best part of a summer completing the project. It almost felt as if I was "clocking in" every day, something which I have not done since I was 17!
Price range? Most, not all, projects seem to fall in a fairly broad band between $200 and $700 Canadian.
Messerschmitt Bf109
by John Wheeldon
Cast Aluminum
Assortment of different aircraft
mounted for display
by John Wheeldon
Cast Aluminum
Avro Arrow
just prior to final polishing
by John Wheeldon
Cast Aluminum
deHavilland Mosquito
by John Wheeldon
Cast Aluminum
John Wheeldon in his workshop
