Bronze Puffin Sculptures
Sculpted in tribute to the puffins of Bempton Cliffs, this trio of cheeky characters never fail to bring a smile to our faces, always appearing cheerful and comical. Adorable, playful, sociable little birds, I sculpted them to capture the essence of the puffin and how they make us feel, rather than an anatomical, biological copy.
Please Meet – Puffin Billy (left) Flippy Flappy (middle) and Arthur Flap (because he’s not in a full flap)
Shipping Complimentary international shipping is provided for my artist bronzes – customers are responsible for any customs and duties on international shipments. Each sculpture will be carefully packed along with their certificate of authentication and guide on how best to look after your investment.
UK delivery – please allow 5 working days. International delivery will take longer but is tracked.
VAT – Price includes VAT at 20% in applicable countries
Puffin Billy
Limited Numbered Edition 12
Approx. Size 28cm height (11″) x 16cm (6.3″) width x 16cm (6.3″) depth
Approx. Weight 5.5kg
£3900 (including UK VAT)
Available for immediate worldwide shipping
Flippy Flappy
Limited Numbered Edition 12
Approx. Size 25cm height (9.8″) x 39cm (15.3″) width x 27cm (10.6″) depth
Approx. Weight 7kg
£4200 (including UK VAT)
Available for immediate worldwide shipping
Arthur Flap
Limited Numbered Edition 12
Approx. Size 27cm height (9.8″) x 25cm (15.3″) width x 15cm (10.6″) depth
Approx. Weight 7kg
£3950 (including UK VAT)
Available for immediate worldwide shipping
The real Billy has mates
The real Flippy Flappy
The real Arthur
How are they made?
Casting bronzes is a long, labour-intensive and skilled process. From start to finish a sculpture usually takes around 4 months. Here’s a basic insight into the process…
I start each sculpture in exactly the same way, with a bag of professional grade clay.
I don’t set out knowing that I’ll be casting them in bronze, it’s only when they’re finished and ready to dry for firing that I’ll decide.
If I decide to get them cast in bronze, it’s a careful journey over to the foundry (unfired clay isn’t the sturdiest of materials!)
A wooden frame is built up to provide a base for a plaster mould to be made around the sculpture. Then silicon is poured into the plaster mould to create a silicon mould.
For some sculptures, they need to be cut into parts as more than one mould is needed to make it.
When a new puffin is born, hot wax is poured into those silicon moulds to create an exact copy of each piece.
These are then carefully assembled to produce an exact copy of the original clay in wax, which is then dipped multiple times into a ceramic slurry to form an outer coating to the wax.
Once dry, they’re then put in the furnace and the wax melts out, leaving a hollow ceramic shell.
It’s this shell that the molten bronze is then poured into.
Once the bronze has cooled, the ceramic shell is knocked off to reveal the bronze casting beneath.
The inside is ground out and then the pieces assembled and finished by hand.
Then comes the patination process – a combination of heat and different chemicals to produce different colours.
Once the patina is complete, they get all hot and bothered again before a generous coating of wax is applied to protect the finish, they’re allowed to cool, then buffed to a shine.
Bronze sculpture guide
Not all bronze sculptures are, well, bronze!
Let’s start with the basics: What exactly is bronze?
Bronze is a metal alloy mostly made up of copper. Mass-produced bronzes often skimp on the copper content and use tin, lead, and iron instead which leave the sculptures open to corrosion and breakages.
The bronze I use for my sculptures contain a high copper content of 96%, along with 1% manganese and 3% silicon. The added silicon strengthens the sculptures, although it makes the process more challenging and costly for the foundry.
Hot or cold?
Cold cast bronze refers to sculptures made with resin and moulds, sometimes finished with bronze powder to mimic the look of a genuine bronze sculpture.
Hot cast Bronze involves creating a mold from the original sculpture, followed by the creation of a wax copy. The wax piece is then dipped multiple times in a ceramic coating, creating a sturdy shell. This is then heated in a kiln to melt the wax. Molten bronze can then be poured into the ceramic shell. Once cooled, the ceramic shell is removed, and the sculpture is assembled and perfected. The finishing touches involve patination to create beautiful surfaces, followed by a seal of hot wax that gives the sculpture its sheen and protects the surface from the elements.
Limited editions.
The number of pieces in an edition directly impacts their exclusivity and value.
Higher edition numbers indicate less exclusivity, while lower numbers make each piece more sought after.
But that’s not all! Provenance matters too.
Can you trace the sculpture’s journey from the artist to your hands? Look for sculptures made in the UK by reputable foundries, as they proudly put their name to their work. And for your peace of mind and future valuation, you’ll receive a signed certificate of authentication alongside your bronze sculpture.
Caring for your bronze
A wipe over with a clean, soft, dry cloth is all that’s needed unless the bronze is kept outside when it will need wax applying at least once a year to keep the elements off it and it looking like it should. Left to the elements the surface will develop into a green effect which is also rather nice.
