Public Works
Good Shepherd
Installation: St. Henry Catholic Church, Brentwood, TN
Client: Diocese of Nashville
Completion Year: 2026
Dyer Sculpture, Nashville, TN
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The Good Shepherd sculpture was designed to be a focal point for the Prayer Garden and Columbarium in the existing courtyard between the St. Henry sanctuary and the administration building.
The goal for this project was to create a comforting presence and focal point for the courtyard. Christ is depicted as the Good Shepherd gently leading a child while carrying a newborn lamb.
The bronze sculpture measures 6’ 4” high, 4’ 0” wide and 4’ 0” deep and rests on a 4’ 6” diameter granite base surrounded by river rock.
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The process begins with a signed contract and approval of a rough sketch which is then further refined in working with the client. After a mutually agreed upon concept, the artist creates 3-D sketch and maquette and then works with the client to refine the process and reach a design agreement. Then a waste mold is made of the clay maquette and wax is poured. From this a digital enlargement is made and milled out of foam. This is a scaled and exact enlargement of the original maquette. Next, the artist sands into the foam to add and refine details. An oil-based clay is applied in several layers as the artist carves and sculpts again. After final approval by the client, a mold is made and shipped to the foundry for the bronze casting. The sculptor visits the foundry for approval of the work and will return again to proof the patina. After completion, the bronze is shipped to the client for installation.
