Here Adam is creating a clay dam to accept the mold material to make a final mold of the chased, perfect model for the bronze casting process so that multiples of his original clay sculpture can be made.  The dam will be filled with rubber to create this mold. ...

Adam is chasing the wax, which means smoothing and filling any holes, taking off bubbles and making the wax perfect for the final molding.   This is the point where you take the most care because every little scratch, dent, bubble or whatever will show up in the metal. ...

TRADE BEADS Trade Beads have been one of my passions for 40 years and over time more and more people have become aware of them.  I’ve decided to post a collection of information that I’ve compounded to clear up or confuse the trade bead issue.  They have been a vital part of our history ...

Adam has molded the clay bears with rubber mold material and is reinforcing the mold by creating a “Mother Mold”. The mother mold reinforces the rubber to hold its true shape. The mold is made with plaster and bands of cotton bandage, much like making a cast for a broken bone. The ...

Adam is using plastic sheets to create dams for bear molds. The plastic dams create a barrier between the rubber surfaces so that the two halves of the mold will separate without having to be cut open. The bear molds will then be filled with melted wax. When the wax hardens each ...

Adam’s other project is sculpting two stylized clay bears.  The clay he is using is oil based and sculpts beautifully and holds detail.  Oil based clay doesn’t dry out and can be used over and over again, nor does it shrink and crack like water based clay often does.  He will soon be casting the ...

Adam Creates Wax Panel For Bronze CastingAdam’s new project is a 15 X 27 inch Bear panel that will be cast in bronze with a high polished silver patina then mounted on a piece of cedar to frame the work. Adam is seen working on the lost-wax vestment for the casting in ...

On Sunday. more than 60 years after serving as a Flying Tiger lighter pilot in World War ll. Glen Beneda returned to China to offer eternal gratitude to the men and women who saved his life by donating a glass coolie hat crafted by Jewels Durham of Ferndale to China’s newly opened Flying Tiger Memorial ...

Hummingbirds are messengers between the spirit world and the physical world. When we see and hear these beautiful little creatures, we can feel joy in our souls and rejoice with them to the pure essence of life. These little masters of flight eat tiny bugs and flower nectar. What a sweet dinner they have. When ...

Have you ever seen a bear in the wild? Be it a Black Bear or Grizzly, they all seem to have such a sense of purpose. Bears are always going somewhere or searching for something, even if it’s just a good place to take a nap. I’ve been fortunate to see black bears in ...