Go for the bronze! Why settle for gold or silver when you can have artwork and sculpture crafted by bronze sculpture experts? When you purchase bronze artwork, you know that it's a product that took careful design, intricate planning and fine craftsmanship to produce.

Since ancient time artists have employed different techniques to make bronze figures, animals, candlesticks and other pieces of art. Bronze casting is highly skilled work, requiring vast knowledge about design, metallurgy, and casting techniques.

Bronze products are cast from molds. The mold is created from a detailed model of the finished product. Hot molten bronze is poured into the mold and allowed to cool to produce the work of art. The mold is then removed and the artwork is then ready for the finishing touches. It sounds simple, but it's not. As many as fifteen steps, or more, are required to get to a finished product.

When sand casting, the artist makes a replica of the object to be produced, then has to make a mold. Sand and clay are compacted around the object to make the mold. Then molten bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, is poured into the mold and allowed to cool and harden. The rough metal is then polished, ground and preened to create the work of art, toy, or sculpture. Other metals or decorative interest can be added.

If the artist utilized the lost wax method of casting, then a wax «lining» is added to the mold. The completed wax sculpture is then heated until the wax melts and runs out. The space that is created is then filled with molten bronze. This process produces a sculpture that is very fine in detail. Sandblasting, polishing and assembly follow.

So, really, why settle for gold or silver, when you can have a piece of art, sculpture, toy, candlestick, wine stopper, or figure crafted by bronze experts. When you own a cast bronze sculpture you know the expertise, craftsmanship and artistic talent that went into creating it. So go for the bronze!

For 3 decades, Scott Nelles [http://nellesstudios.com/history/history.php] has been creating sculptures of beauty and creativity in cast bronze. From toys to candlesticks, his work displays elegant design and superb craftsmanship. In his Northern Michigan studio, Nelles is inspired by the surrounding nature. He uses the timeless methods of sand–casting and hand–finishing to create wonderful pieces of sculpture in cast bronze and aluminum. You can visit his website to see and learn more.