'The Wolf of the Woods - Hops' 70cm x 22cm 
Concrete - made with grey/brown Ciment Fondu and kiln dried sand. 
This handmade concrete botanical cast, made with ‘ciment fondu’, has been cast using a groundbreaking technique developed by the artist. 
Ciment fondu is a strong, high alumina casting cement used by sculptors such as Henry Moore, Gerda Rubinstein and Ng Eng Teng. The process involves three separate methodologies: - Firstly the ‘master’ is produced in plaster from flowers pressed into clay and transposed into plaster once the plants have been removed. The second stage is making a silicone mould from the plaster master after it has completely dried, using RTV silicone. Thirdly the ciment fondu and sand mixture is mixed and added into the mould, allowed to set for 24 hours and cured for a further four weeks. 
The original plaster cast is irrevocably discoloured during the process and the silicone mould can only be used to make a maximum of two concrete casts in two different cements.  
 
This cast was made with grey/brown Ciment Fondu and kiln dried sand and polished with Renaissance Wax. Concrete casts are supplied with an aluminium hook for hanging and can be displayed indoor or outside, embedded into walls or wet areas such as showers and splashback decoration. 
 
Outdoor concrete casts will develop a unique patina over time, changing from almost black, through grey/bronze to a dark grey.