Patron

I realize that I devoted most of this blog to beginning artist but hopefully it will help you realize how an idea is developed and help you to appreciate the piece that you have purchased even more than just the visual of it. I try to show pieces as they are being developed and possibly you will see your piece and be able to know the history behind that piece of sculpture.

 The laying down buffalo was titled "Keeper of the Sacred Spirit" and is down to the last five editions so once I sell out and reproduce the AP's or artists copies (which by the way should never be sold as part of the edition) for my family then the mold will be totally destroyed never to be reproduced again.  That is why it is called limited edition.If you look at any sculpture it will have a number then a slash then another number usually near the artist signature.  That represents which number that piece is then the number in the entire edition.

Some patrons purchase big name artists thinking that that piece of work will increase in value after the artist is mature or passes away but in truth you should now days purchase a work just because you love it and can visualize it in your home or collection. (Unless you have the money to invest in masters.) Some patrons collect only certain numbers, some only western, some only abstract, everyone has a different taste and that is fantastic.The thing to remember about bronze is weight, anticipate where it will be going and not only the space it will entail but the weight...you don't want to be surprised when a piece weighs 50 lbs and you did not support it properly and it ends up on the floor.

Also another aspect people don't realize is that a bronze can not be in direct sun through a window without some damage to the patina over time. Same goes for a bronze being in the same area with a fish tank, humidity is one of those things that deteriorates a bronze...whether it be a salt water tank, regular or even a humidifier or swamp cooler (my roots are showing but that is what we called them in Texas). I just got a piece back the other day that I am re-patinaeing that had two bright green spots on it and it came from Arkansas (humidity).

So just because it appears hard and unbreakable does not mean it can't be damaged...a simple slip of a watch band or ring can damage the delicate patina. Any owner of bronze needs to check them at least once every six months for any kind of damage. All bronze needs to be cleaned and re-waxed and that gets us into another warning...bronzes should never be cleaned with anything but a clean soft cloth...solvents of any kinds will affect the patina and damage the bronze. If it needs anything other than that, ask the artist, they will usually do it for free rather than have your work damaged by careless cleaning. Bronze will last a life time and are one of the few things that can be passed down from generation to generation without problems