“Freedom” (Eagle One)

This monumental work, titled Freedom and affectionately nicknamed “Eagle One,” is a 55-foot wingspan bronze bald eagle, a symbol of strength, resilience, and liberty. Captured mid-flight with wings stretched wide and talons reaching forward, the eagle appears to be descending for a landing, embodying a powerful sense of motion and purpose. Embedded in the bottoms of its feet, the first paragraph of the U.S. Constitution is meticulously carved in Morse code, a subtle yet profound tribute to the foundational principles of the nation it represents.
The creation of Freedom is a testament to human skill and determination. Sculpted entirely by hand in clay, without the aid of assistants or modern technology such as scanning, 3D printing, or robotic milling, this work emerged directly from the artist’s vision, intuition, and physical effort. No maquette or preliminary model was used—only the artist’s mind and eyes guided the process, shaping the full-scale form from start to finish. Once completed, the clay sculpture underwent a meticulous 10-stage process to be cast into bronze and assembled, a journey that spanned eight years. Freedom weighs 17.5 tons.
The path to completion was not without challenges and remarkable coincidences. During its creation, the clay eagle narrowly escaped destruction in the Eagle Creek Fire, a wildfire ignited on the artist’s birthday by children playing with fireworks in the forest. That same year, the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl, adding a layer of serendipity to the project. In a fitting historical alignment, Joe Biden designated the bald eagle as the official national bird just before the sculpture’s completion, while the final metalwork was finished on the very day President Trump took office.
Freedom stands as more than a sculpture—it is a narrative of perseverance, a celebration of craftsmanship, and a tribute to the enduring spirit of the bald eagle and the ideals it embodies. We call him “Eagle One” with love and pride, a singular creation born from fire, time, and an unwavering commitment to art and liberty.

Sculpting Detail

Heather is sculpting detail in the clay feet, combining realistic anatomy with artistic Interpretation, adding a slightly stylized feel to the sculpture, not just copying detail from photographs. She likes to create work that has organic and flowing elements. The following poem by Alfred Tennyson inspired the feel and movement of her statue.

“He clasps the crag with crooked hands; Close to the sun in lonely lands, Ring’d with the azure world, he stands.
The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls; He watches from his mountain walls, And like a thunderbolt he falls.”
Alfred Tennyson

Carving the Wing

Heather sketched the 25 foot long wing outline she designed, with a giant Sharpie. If you look closely you can see her standing in the far back. Now she is hand carving the rough anatomy in the foam and will slather clay on to sculpt the feather detail.

Sculpting the Wing Detail

Heather hand-carved feather, bone anatomy and rough detail in the foam structure of the wing.  She then spread melted and warm clay over the foam.  Now she is carving and sculpting the detail of the feathers.

Bronze Casting in Progress

We are working on finishing each separate part of the eagle. Once each section is complete we will assemble the whole statue.

This is a photo of the tip of the wing and part of the front edge. After we weld this section completely we will weld on the rest of the edge and shoulder connection. Each wing will measure 9 feet wide and a bit over 25 feet long.

Heather is standing under Mr. Eagle’s body. We removed his back and shoulders so that we can install the steel supports and large steel pole that will hold him up in the air. We are making him low enough to the ground so people can hang on his feet and legs and interact with the bronze. I have never had a sign on my artwork saying “Please don’t touch”.