The art of the Reveal: How Sealer Transforms my Upcycled Sculptures
Q: What Role Does Sealer Play in Finishing a Sculpture?
A: In my creative process, there’s a moment in every sculpture where things shift—where all the hours of building, sourcing, and layering suddenly give way to something more refined, more finished… more alive. That moment, for me, happens when I apply the final step the sealer.
Throughout my process, I’m focused on composition. I’m layering textures, integrating vintage luxury pieces, cutting and shaping reclaimed materials to work in harmony. I make countless micro-decisions—what type of leather feels right, how the grain will flow across the form, where to position metallic elements so they catch light just right. The piece builds slowly, like a puzzle with no roadmap.
But no matter how much care I take with those choices, it’s the very last step—the sealer—that is the big reveal.
When that clear coat hits the surface, everything deepens. The leathers get richer, the metallics shimmer with more contrast, and the sculpture takes on a depth it didn’t have just moments before—colors pop. Textures sharpen. And suddenly, a piece I’ve been staring at for days or weeks feels new to me again. That’s the reveal.
It’s not just a protective layer—it’s a transformation. It seals the work, yes, but it also unifies it. It tells me, “This is who I am now.”
And honestly, that’s one of the most exciting parts of my process. Because no matter how many sculptures I create, that moment still gives me a thrill. There’s always an element of surprise—how the materials settle, how they react, how they come into alignment. It reminds me why I love this kind of work: because it’s never just technical. It’s emotional. It’s alchemical. It’s intuitive.
That’s the art of the reveal.
