Hello,

I'm Kathy Shaw. Thank you for taking the time to get to know me.

Metal castings and sculpting have been part of my life for as long as I can remember.

As a small child I can remember going out to the shop behind our house and watching as my grandfather and my father worked in the foundry. I use to play in the sand for hours while the worked. When I was older I started making my own sculptures and molding them in the sand then my dad would pour them for me. I really enjoy making jewelry and Christmas ornaments for my friends.

When I was old enough to handle molten metal I started to pour my own molds.

I cannot explain what an awesome feeling is to completely make something yourself from start to finish. To have a thought form in my mind and then use my hands to give it solid form and substance. Then to form the sand around it making the mold. Melting and blending just the right metals, getting the temperature just right and pouring the mold.

Waiting with anticipation for the metal to cool then tearing the mold apart to reveal the rough sculpture. If it casts OK then I start the long job of finishing the casting. Filing and sanding and reshaping, smoothing the edges and surfaces. After the shape is just right I start to polish it, first using coarse emery and continuing to use finer and finer grit, until the surface has a high gloss finish.

I really enjoy nature and the outdoors, camping, fishing, hiking and horseback riding so it's not really surprising that most of my sculptures depict animals and nature.

Each one of my sculptures are handmade and hand finished no two are exactly alike.

I have completely made all of them by myself from start to finish. I never send any work out to other people for any of the processes. All of my work is solid hand sand cast in my own blend of sculpting metals( not hollow). I only use natural green sand that I dig myself to make the molds, I have never used any type of permanent mold or investment mold or lost wax. Each mold must be destroyed to get the casting out and cannot be reused.

I hope you enjoy my sculptures as much as I have enjoy creating them.

Kathy Shaw