Henri Poppelaars draws his inspiration from his immediate environment, nature and people. He observes, sketches, collects ideas and, sometimes much later, develops them in three dimensions. Usually in modeling wax or clay. In addition to this creative process is the artisanal part of the creation of a sculpture. Controlling the “entire” process and putting your stamp on your own work is a hallmark of his working method.
He has been working in bronze since the early 1990s, mainly figurative, with sometimes a slight abstraction in which human figures, birds and feathers always play a recognizable role. Designs are mainly cast in small series, sometimes an edition of only two sculptures. In addition, unique items have also been made in the past.
The different birds in the bird series are faithfully and strikingly depicted with beautiful patinas in subtle color schemes. Topics do expand over time and return in recognizable themes. A good example is the kingfisher series. the first kingfisher was created in 1998, later followed by variants that differ in design and composition. Over the years, several birds have been added to the collection.
The intensive and time-consuming design phase naturally forms the basis for the images, but the precise and image-defining finishing process is also kept in-house. This traditional approach with great attention to detail guarantees the continuous quality of the images.
The actual casting of the statue is done by the foundry, including the well-known foundry of Hans Steijlaert. Small series are designed and produced on request for various clients. This can be based on existing images or it concerns specific statues that have been designed on special request in consultation with the client.
