Using a plethora of organic textures, patterns, and forms from my coastal surroundings, each bell is handcrafted in bronze clay (a clay-like material made up of fine particles of metal, water, and an organic binder), and fired in a small kiln, resulting in an original, solid metal form. The nature of bronze clay is that, after days of tedious crafting, you never quite know what you’ll find when you unpack the kiln- wild colors, cracks, warping, etc., are all par for the course with this material. When I am pleased with the fired results, I then clean, finish, and patina each one, and attach the clapper and hook*. The true reward comes at the very end, when the bell introduces itself with its unique chime.
*Bells that I deem successful go on to have molds made of them, and their family of bells is then cast in small batches.
