"Sleeping Beauty” depicts a large male Steller Sea Lion relaxing after a nice meal of local fare. Where these wonderful creatures tend to forage across massive distances, they traditionally mate and give birth at traditional “rookeries” that they return to each year. Satiated and peaceful, he is Home.  
 
Unfortunately, the Steller Sea Lion’s home is in trouble. Where the Eastern population has enjoyed a healthy recovery over the past several years, the Western stock is still struggling and is listed as endangered. Suspected causes of their population decline point to overfishing of their prey, human caused injury / fatalities and climate change.  
 
As humans we share the Earth with these sea lions in our communal Home. They can be seen along the shores of Vancouver Island each fall where they come to feed on the salmon returning to our local rivers. We all share the responsibility for their care and need to do what we can to ensure their survival for generations to come.  
 
Learn more at www.fisheries.noaa.gov 

About the piece:

Originally sculpted in oil clay, the artist then made silicone and plaster molds and cast the Sea Lion in wax.  These waxes were hand delivered to Burton Bronze Foundry on Salt Spring Islang, BC, Canada where fireproof molds were created and the bronze was poured.  Once complete, these raw bronzes were returned to the artist where he welded them back together, cleaned (chased) the casts,  and then used a hot patina process to embed the metal with the rich tones you see.  The base was cast in concrete from silicone and plaster molds.