I have been working alongside the Paumelle Foundry since it first opened in 1994 in the Champagne region, in North-Eastern France. Apart from a few unique, independent pieces, my bronze sculptures are all limited editions of 8 works, complete with 4 artist proofs (A.P.): once the full edition of 12 pieces has been cast, the mould is destroyed. Every one of my bronzes is signed, stamped and numbered.

 

Producing a bronze sculpture entails a number of steps. After I have modeled the original sculpture in my studio (from clay, plaster or wax), it undergoes a complex process: first, the execution of the mould, followed by the pouring of the core, creation of a wax model (which is hand finished and signed), preparation of a gating system (the channels for the molten bronze to travel through), conception of a ceramic mould, pouring of the bronze, chasing (cleaning of impurities and seam lines), welding, sanding and finally the application of the patina (which is achieved through the chemical reaction of a variety of metal salts when applied onto hot bronze).