Bronze reliefs provide one of the earliest forms of visual story-telling. Unlike in-the-round sculpture, reliefs are usually anchored to a flat surface, like a wall. That way, the background blends into the raised portion of the artwork allowing for a much more detailed story. For example, a battle scene or a scene from Parliament.

My reliefs tend to be more on the high side than bas reliefs, or low reliefs. I also tend to incorporate a generous amount of texture, both in the background and in the figures themselves.

I do this with wax-based clay, which can be manipulated in a near liquid form. After the clay hardens, it is covered with a mold. From this mold a wax form is developed. In the final step, the wax is melted away and bronze replaces it in what is called the “lost wax process,” a process which is nearly as old as bronze casting.