Dragons are magical, powerful, mythical creatures and I was born during the year of the dragon in the Chinese zodiac, so there's a personal connection there too. I have always wanted to get into large scale public art and this dragon sculpture was the first piece I created that felt like it fit into that category. Hopefully it can help open some doors for future opportunities!
This stainless steel dragon is one of the most challenging, intricate, detailed pieces I have made to date. She stands 5 feet tall with a 9 foot wingspan and is covered with 1,583 individual scales and 49 chest and neck plates. I started by looking at reference photos including Game of Thrones dragons, but those are the types where the wings are connected to the front arms and I wanted the wings to be separate. I had a clear image of what I wanted it to look like but couldn't find the right reference photos, so I decided to contact my good friend Konstantin Kahl who is an incredibly talented illustrator. He created some beautiful sketches that really helped me wrap my mind around the movement and fluidity of this creature.
From there I created a skeleton using 84 linear feet of 1/8 inch rod and added a strong internal structure made up of 37 linear feet of tubing ranging from 3/8" thick to 2" thick. Then came the hands, feet, head, wings, fins, and over 1,600 individual scales. Getting each scale to sit right and overlap naturally was a long, tedious process but also deeply satisfying. There is something about repetitive detail work that can put me into a meditative headspace where I lose track of time.
I am incredibly happy with how she turned out. Standing back and seeing the whole thing come together after months of work was one of those rare moments where I felt immediately proud of the final product!
This metal dragon sculpture is free standing, made entirely of stainless steel, colored using only heat patinas, and it is safe to be kept outdoors!
