after scraping my first idea for the bench, i came up with a design better design and was able to successfully solder all the pieces together and move on to {step 6} attaching the chain and preparing the piece for the patina process.  for {step 7} the piece is submerged in warm liver of sulfur until the desired color is achieved.

{step 8} brush with a soft brass brush and soapy water to remove excess coloration and add luster to the metal.  {step 9} lightly sand edges to add highlights and details.

after the desired look is achieved, the metal is sealed with wax to protect the finish {step 10}.  at this point the metal fabrication is complete and its time to move onto the figures.  larger figures are half drilled on the bottom and set on a post for added security.

after drilling, posts are trimmed and fitted to the figure and its time to play around with compositions {step 12}.  to get an idea i temporarily attached the birds with modeling clay so i can move them around as needed.

once the composition is finalized, comes the tricky part, permanently attaching the figures.  i'll post photos of the final once its complete.  meanwhile i'll show you what else i've been working on this year.

last month i received a commission for a very special piece from a customer that i met at one of my holiday shows.  i'm really excited about the project and decided it presented the perfect opportunity to start a new blog series that will follow the creation of pieces from start to finish.  for this piece the customer asked for a {model series} necklace with an elderly woman in a hat sitting on a park bench with a small bird and possibly a tree in the background.  i immediately saw an entire park scene, with a bird bath, a grouping of birds and some shrubbery.  after discussing the idea with the customer and find that she was on board it was time to get started.  i was able to track down the figures that i need and once they arrived it was time to get started.  {step 1} refining the idea/ design.  sometimes i do this with a sketch (see above) sometimes i just picture the finished piece in my mind.  {step 2} is gathering the raw materials that will be needed for the project.  for this project, there are several figures that i liked, so i decided to fabricate the necklace first and try the various figures once its finished to see which ones work best.  {step 3} begin fabrication, by cutting and forming the basic pieces to create the various elements.  {step 4} solder pieces together to construct the three dimensional form.  {step 5} file and sand to clean up joints and edges after each solder job.

_repeat {steps 4 and 5} until construction is complete and make adjustments where necessary.  in this case the bench fell apart when soldering it onto the base.  i tried a few times without success so i took a break for the day and will approach it with fresh eyes tomorrow and either rebuild or redesign the element.  often a short break is all that is needed, its amazing how much easier a task can be when you are not tired.

i will continue to post updates and photos as this project moves along.