A material of art and war, bronze has been used for thousands of years to depict elements of life, spirit and worship. Patination is the exciting process of developing colour on the surface of bronze, often in wonderful shades of green or brown and this can be achieved in a variety of ways. Some patinas are created naturally through exposure to the atmosphere. Others are produced artificially, in the artist's studio or foundry, by applying heat, chemicals or varnishes and waxes.
The patination on the surface of our bronze sculptures is developed using a traditional and ancient method. We bury the sculpture by a river in the iron rich soil that we have on the farm here in Northern Ireland, resulting in a unique final finish. The process is slow but the bronze will wait patiently in the ground. Until it’s right, until it’s time to face the air and sun again.
Each time is different and each piece is different.
Once the desired patina has been achieved, we carefully coat the bronze sculpture in a thin layer of Mallon natural beeswax polish, created by mixing wax from our own beehives with linseed oil from our annual crop of flax. Beeswax is widely recognised as an effective way to protect and preserve bronze sculptures after patination.
Over time the colour of a bronze sculpture kept indoors will continue to deepen. To maintain the patina, a layer of any natural paste wax can be applied once a year.
The Bronze Legend Collection by Charlie Mallon has been inspired by the symbols and stories of the Ancient Celts. Each sculpture is one of a limited edition of twelve, and is numbered and stamped with the artists motif.