We use a wide variety of materials on our projects. Welded steel, sculpted concrete, epoxy sculpting medium, wood, various paints and a whole lot more. Each piece is made from the best choice, determined by many factors, including ease of working, size, strength, durability, cost effectiveness, and other factors. The challenge is to get the various materials to mimic the type of surface we want to portray. An old weathered branch in our project is most likely made from fiberglass reinforced concrete, sculpting epoxy or high density urethane. Most likely it has a welded steel, structural frame inside as well. The challenge we face is to make the material we use look like the real thing, and match some other material that is most likely adjacent to it playing the same role.
We get lots of visitors to our projects. Many say nice things which is always encouraging. Today a stucco contractor was working outside on the building. We were inside. As we worked he came inside to see what we were up to. He was a skilled man and had done a LOT of plasterwork through the years I'm sure. He watched intently as I troweled on the concrete - anything but flat for I was working on the twisted branch for the entrance welcome station. He asked me lots of questions - about the mix we use, how we carved it, the type of paint we finished things with and much more. I answered his questions. Eventually he wandered off to see all the other details we had worked on.
