The Process I’m inspired by the characters of the Bible, the real people who lived it out. When I decide on a figure to model. I look for clues as to what they looked like and how they might have behaved. I start with an idea and sketch it out on paper. The tough part is coming up with a pose that feels right.

Once the pose is chosen, building the supporting armature is relatively simple. Using iron or copper wire with various thicknesses and flexibility, I build the armature. The goal is to provide stability to the figure and give the wax something to adhere to while keeping the armature flexible enough to adjust the pose as necessary. I attempt to make the armature as life-like as possible. The armature is complete when it approximates the pose I have envisioned; it is than that I affix it to a piece of wood (the base).

When the armature is complete I begin to cover it with a modeling material. There are several materials that I could use for this (clay or plastilina or even direct plaster). My favorite is micro-crystalline wax. I really enjoy working with this material , it is fairly solid at room temperature but when you place pieces of the wax in hot water the material softens up and becomes very pliable.

I apply the wax a little at a time working the whole figure. After the armature is covered I continue to add and subtract wax. During this phase of the process I research period clothing and equipment. I also study the anatomy intensely keeping in mind how the figure works, drawing more sketches of faces and hands. I sometimes sketch out the pose from different angles, taking into consideration the drape of the clothing. I refer back to these sketches while ‘fleshing’ out the figure. Then I use sculpting tools to carve in the details.

Once the figure is complete I than take it to the foundry. There a mold is made and the image is cast into bronze.