My Sculptures are made using Copper and Stained Glass. Most of them are very large and they can be used indoors or out. Many of them are designed so that they can be hung or mounted on a stand or support buried in the ground.
I begin the process with a drawing of what I want to make. Then the structure has to be engineered to withstand the weight of the glass and extra copper that it will be supporting.
The Process
The Stained Glass is purchased in large sheets and must be cut or broken into the appropriate size pieces. Each piece is then individually wrapped and soldered. The pieces are then laid out and put into place like a huge jigsaw puzzle. When I'm happy with the design, the glass and copper are joined together.
The piece is then thoroughly cleaned and polished, and then sealed with a special combination of industrial sealers, that have (so far) withstood most weather conditions.
The Copper is measured and bent into the basic shape of the sculpture. The exterior frame along with the support pieces are welded together. Then the interior supports and frames are welded to the exterior frame. The interior copper pieces are all worked on separately. This may include hammering, sewing, soldering, or staining.