One of the most important parts of a sculptor’s career is the relationship that he or she maintains with the foundries that bring masterpieces to fruition through very difficult processes.  This forged partnership ensures that the artist will be able to work closely with the founders and engineers that will be in charge of taking the temporary model that was created and turning it into a bronze sculpture.  Whether the piece is small or larger-than-life size, the team will be able to make it come alive through firing processes.

Foundries that take on these jobs usually require about a two month period to be able to deliver the finished product.  It is a usual practice for an artist to work with more than one of several foundries to obtain bids for the work that will be completed.

The artist is able to dictate certain aspects such as the final finish or patina that will be applied to the piece, as well as inspecting it to ensure that it meets all of the specifications and demands of the contract that was drawn up.

Each of the foundries employ trained staff that will observe the work in progress and make sure that quality is of the utmost importance throughout the process.  One wrong step can cause the progress to be halted and began again, which can be rather costly.  Because these shops usually have a high number of orders to fill, their focus is to do a quality job in the contracted amount of time.

The people that work hard to make the piece of art a reality are just as much an artisan as the artist themselves.