The long process

Each sculpture is a long endeavor. The process is often misunderstood when I try to explain it to friends. I begin my ideas in sculptors clay. The idea comes into being and when completed, I make a plaster cast of it. From the plaster cast, I prep, and pour wax to make a wax cast. From that cast, I clean and beautify a good rendition and prep a sand cast. This includes, dusting, ramming sand and the use of two boxes. When all is done, there is a hole to pour hot metal and the wax cast has been removed, leaving a space ready for hot metal and a fabulous design. We prep the foundry, pour and then wait for everything to cool. Then end result is a metal casting in need of removal of vent holes and flashing. Tools needed for this step include a hack saw and chisels. Then, its time to buff and add pigment. Pigment is the hardest step. I add, remove, add, remove, blend, grind, sand, remove. And finally, completion! Engineering hardware and hanging mechanisms. Then sending the piece off into the world.