Working quickly and crudely, I assemble the elements by clipping, gluing or taping them together in order to quickly visualize the piece. This process brings problems to light that will require study and more precise solutions. Here is where I begin making decisions of proportion, size, weight, materials, balance, engineering and time. Next, I sand and shape the figures and carve the details in by hand . I prefer to do my fine finishing work directly in the bronze.
Bronze is capable of holding shape and details without being broken.
A rubber mold is taken from this figure and the figure is nearly ready to become an element in the sculpture. Sanding and filing the bronze surfaces prepare the sculpture for the patina. When the bronze elements are ready, I lay them out on the floor and balance them crudely on a teeter-totter kind of board. As the parts are welded, changes occur in structure, spatial relationships and balance. Casting of the bronze elements for the sculptures takes months, then the welding and assembly takes about a week and the patina about a day.