I have put this section together for those interested in seeing how most of my sculpture comes into being.
It all usually begins in a notebook that I carry everywhere, where I can sketch lots of shapes, concepts, and best guesses on how to fabricate them. My most condensed creative times seem to happen on tropical islands near the beach, usually with ample drinks and nothing better to do but listen to cds and watch tourists crispen under the sun while avoiding all possible snorkel and canoe excursions. The next step for me is to register and copyright my designs and then finally get to work on fabrication.
Lately with the Spirit Marker Series, I have been fabricating the top most element out of copper and after a few flubbed first attempts at a new design, I succeed and follow through to completion with all but the patina.
Again I consult my notebook to see just how I was planning on fabricating the base. Usually I wonder just how many limes were in those beers in that tropical think tank and start over on a new plan to create a concrete mold for the base element. For those without mold making experience, "don't try this at home". Most sculptors either add on or take away to make a form. I usually add on. But when you need a mold to fabricate (without an original), you have to think backwards from the desired final form. So the concrete mold better be perfect before I start pouring any cement. Inside the mold I create a metal reinforced frame to hold the cement together. And since I'm just one little guy that can only lift small batches of cement, I usually design multi-piece molds that can stack higher & higher until I finally use a ladder to add the top most portion of material. The mold is then fully dismantled and destroyed after the cast is set. Then again usually more beer is consumed while the piece is cleaned up, finished and sealed. The Elder series starts out the same way with sketches. Then I work on a wax (original) sculpture in my studio. This usually takes a few months, and when it is completed it is delivered to a bronze foundry. After the casting is complete, I spend some time creating a patina and then sealing the final finish.
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