Casting process

Making a bronze sculpture is a very challenging but extremely rewarding process.

At the start of the creation of each sculpture an armature of aluminium wire is built. It serves as a skeleton that gives the sculpture more strength and flexibility. Once this is complete a sculpture in water- based clay is created. After this has been done the sculpture has to go through many labour- intensive processes. I have been very fortunate to have located highly skilled professionals at a Foundry here in England.

The first step at the foundry is the Mould Making.

Once the clay sculpture is leather hard, but not dry, a silicon rubber mixture is painted in several layers on the sculpture capturing every tiny detail. This rubber mould is an exact negative of the clay sculpture.

After the layers are complete, a final hard jacket of fibreglass is applied to the soft rubber mould which is held together by screws that are placed in the outer jacket this way the mould can be opened up like a clam and the clay sculpture released and discarded.

Now follows the Wax Pouring of the sculpture.

Liquid wax is poured in several layers at different temperatures into the mould. Once the ‘wax sculpture’ is cooled it is removed from the mould. It will be pieced back together and all imperfections such as air bubbles or seam lines are removed. At this point I have a last look at the sculpture to make last minutes corrections.

All of these processes have to be repeated every time a new sculpture of an existing edition (from an existing mould) is being made.

Spruing is the process by which solid wax rods and a larger wax funnel are attached to the wax sculpture. These spruces serve as channels to allow the molten bronze to move freely into the mould and at the same time release gases.

The sprued wax is now coated several times with a fine ceramic fluid and grit. This new shell is very strong and can resist the heat of the molten bronze.

After the ceramic shell has dried, it is fired upside down in a kiln at temperatures up to 1000 degree celcius to harden it and to allow the wax to melt out. This is also called ‘Lost Wax Procedure’.

Pouring of the Bronze. This highly detailed ceramic shell can now be filled with the molten bronze at a temperature of 1200 degree Celsius. Placed in a large crate full of sand with the wax funnel facing upwards, the ceramic shell is now filled with liquid bronze

When the ceramic shell and bronze have cooled, the ceramic shell is broken apart, hammered away and the sprues are cut off.

A large sculpture is likely to have been cast in several pieces which will have to be welded together to form the original sculpture. Smaller sculptures can be cast in one piece.

This highly skilled process is called Chasing. A sculpture of great quality does not show that it has been chased but rather looks as if it was cast in one single piece.

The last step is the Patina. The sculpture is heated with a blowtorch and like applying paint to a canvas, chemicals (oxides and nitrates) are applied with a brush to the shiny bronze to create different colouration and shades.

Sculpture Commissions

A wonderful way of working together with a client and creating a tailormade unique piece of art.

Please get in touch with me via the CONTACT PAGE or email me directly to discuss your ideas.

Previous Commissions / Collections

Mayo Clinic, London

Irish Embassy London

Irish Embassy Washington

Various private commissions