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ARCHIVED BULLETIN ARTICLES; Larissa Smagarinsky's & Col Henry's Studios

Larissa Smagarinsky's & Col Henry's Studios. 2009.
By Katherine Harrington.
Last November, as part of our organised studio visits, members of our Society visited the studios of Larissa Smagarinsky’s in Wyoming and Col Henry’s in Wyong.
Larissa Smagarinsky had just returned from China where she was selected to sculpt a bronze 3.5 x 2.5 x .6 m as part of the 10th China Symposium in ChangChun.
Larissa’s home in Wyoming, NSW has a huge downstairs studio and a garden full of her sculptures. Larissa’s son Michael Vaynman, also an accomplished sculptor as most of you are aware, generously provided a demonstration in Larissa’s studio on how to add patination to a bronze sculpture:
“I control this process of oxidization through various means: temperature of the bronze, strength of chemical solution and method of application (brushed, stippled, sprayed, etc). In the photo (fig 1) I am heating the bronze sculpture with a gas torch to between 200 C - 300 C then in the other photo (fig 2) stippling with a brush, a solution of copper nitrate. This creates a rich mottled green/blue colouration over the bronze surface”.
Larissa Smarinsky was educated in Leningrad, now St Petersburg, Russia graduating with a Masters Degree in architectural and decorative sculpture. She moved to Australia in 1982. She has 15 public sculptures around Australia and eight overseas.

Col Henry is currently working on a a commission for Kogarah Council for a work at Carrs Park to be installed in 2010. The idea behind this commission is to create a ‘Green Peaceful Meeting Place for People. The work will be made from recycled Royal Species timbers and stainless steel.
His studio is next to his home in Wyong in the Yarramalong Valley and is stocked with materials including large pieces of stainless steel. Col built and designed his studio and home where he lives with his wife Krystyne who is also an artist.
Col was a full time art teacher at TAFE for 23 years in panel beating, retiring in 1995. His background has equipped him for steel welding and for his sculpture classes which he conducts from his studio. He has been teaching in his studio for the past 20 years. Col has been a practicing artist for over 4 decades and has received and continues to receive many public commissions.

COL HENRY photos below: