The Process

Here are images and details that document creating this equine sculpture from clay to final bronze.

I started with a clay "sketch" to establish critical anatomy landmarks, and then refined the muscles in action to capture the energy and gesture of the forward motion. Just as important, I wanted to convey the intensity and focus of this young stallion as I remembered from hours of observation and by studying many reference photographs.

Clay phase completed, I took it to the foundry where they made a mold and then a wax version of the clay figure. The wax process involves an editing phase as well that ensures all details remain accurately represented.

Another mold is made of the wax version into which the molten bronze ultimately gets poured. The resulting figure then gets sandblasted and buffed to remove any imperfections from the bronzing process.

The fun part begins with choosing a patina; in this case, a silver nitrate finish that is sprayed on and fixed with heat. It is then cooled and waxed. The exciting thing about applying the silver nitrate is that its pattern is unpredictable. It can also range from light to dark gray depending upon how it is applied.

I am fascinated now by how Solstice changes depending upon the lighting in the room, almost like seeing him for the first time or catching him in a moment as mercurial as the nature of this stallion.