Charles Strain

Charles draws his imagery from the world of nature and life experience. The fusion of man and nature is a predominate theme in Strain’s sculpture. The aesthetic lines of the human figure and the celebration of human emotion are vehicles he uses as subject matter in his composition. Happiness, sadness, a moment in time, a familiar experience, a celebration, is some of the experiences that can be found when viewing his sculpture.Charles creates his bronze images through the lost wax method. The process takes several steps to form the elegant bronzes. First, he creates a frame with metal, called an armature, covers it with clay and forms a plaster mold over the clay. The mold is removed and then filled with wax. Next, the image is coated with layers of ceramic binder and silica sand. The mold is heated and the wax melts away. Bronze is poured into the ceramic shell. Finally the shell is knocked away from the bronze, and the pieces are welded together, polished, and coated with special chemicals. Each piece has a unique patina or coloring. Charles does limited editions ranging from eight to twenty, and takes pride in the fact that his images are created by the method used by artisans from centuries past.