From the foundry, Mary MacKillop news

Last week I rang the foundry to see how things were progressing, they told me they had tacked together the pieces to find out what the dimensions would be for the plinth.
That being done they then untacked the pieces for thorough chasing (metalwork cleaning and repairs) of the individual pieces before they begin to assemble them permanently, by welding the pieces together and chasing the metal. So the pieces in the previous images were only temporary held together.
The foundry think they will finish by the end of the month, when I will need to then go to Melbourne for 3 days to supervise the patination (colouring) of the bronzes. This is a chemical layer of various oxides etc, that are brushed and stippled on the bronze while heating the surface to help adhere the chemicals to the surface. When the bronze's colours are deemed correct, the sculpture will then have a wax coating applied and polished o a final shine.
I will be so pleased to see the sculpture, as I last saw it as a series of waxes that are now cast as bronze.