Subject Matter:
Deciding what to create draws on emotional life experiences for me. I want to capture feelings of exuberance and joy, extreme effort in sport, mystery and sorrow. The Blue heron, which I am working on at the moment, is a reminder of a loved one I lost recently. The bird seems to frequent places she liked to sit while she was alive. Its quiet patience and strength remind me of her. I found the skeleton of a real blue heron on our land and have used it as a resource. The color of the feathers, the length of the beak and legs are useful in proportion and design of the piece. I like using real bones and bodies for reference.

Sculpture Gallery

Process:
Bronze sculpture takes approximately four months to cast using the traditional lost wax method. The process has changed little in hundreds of years.

The artist makes the clay original.
The first step is drawing, and collecting and taking photos of the subject matter. Then one does sketches to develop a piece that has a dynamic and graceful quality. One also considers the setting where the piece will finally go. Scale and angle must be appropriate for the surroundings if the piece will be outside.

Once the size and shape is determined, the next step is to build an armature strong enough to hold the full weight of the clay. This may require steel, wire, wood, and iron rods.
Like a skeleton, the armature position determines the gesture, balance and grace of the piece. Material can be added that is lighter than clay if desired to build the under layer of the form. The final layer of clay will be worked to have the right surface and flow. When the piece is finished the foundry is usually involved in the next phases.

• A rubber mold is made of the clay original.
• Melted wax is poured into the rubber mold and then out, leaving a thin shell of wax.
• Tubes of wax are added to the wax positive which will become sprues and vents for molten metal and gasses, and reduce air bubbles in the metal.
• The wax is covered in a ceramic slurry which dries and is then fired to melt out the wax.
• The ceramic negative is filled with molten metal and allowed to cool.
• The ceramic negative and the sprues and vents are removed leaving the raw metal positive.
• Separately cast pieces are welded together.
• The bronze is chased, patina applied, and the finished bronze waxed and mounted on a base.