From the outside, the cement block building off a winding road near Alexandria in Licking County doesn’t look like much. But as the garage doors open to the “Art Barn,” a world brimming with life-sized clay figures mingling with brightly colored birdhouses and whimsically decorated shelves comes into view.
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“I work in the studio of the late Jeny Reynolds,” says sculptor Renate Fackler, who keeps the studio nearly the same as when Reynolds painted there. “She was a gracious and generous warm soul. The real deal. She offered me the opportunity to work in her studio space after I moved to a condo and needed a place to work.”
Fackler makes realistic bronze statues that can be seen in several public spaces around Columbus, including churches and even a Brutus at the Ohio Union at Ohio State University.
Fackler uses a 1,000-year-old wax process to bring humanity, movement and life to her work. She starts with a quarter-size clay maquette to get the realistic body expressions and details right before enlarging it to a life-size clay over Styrofoam form. Molds are made over the parts of the final form which are then filled with “the mesmerizing process of liquid bronze,” Fackler says. After a cooling period, the bronze parts are assembled to create the final statue.
“Bronze is more durable than anything,” Fackler says. “I like making work that I know will last. I love to generate work that people feel good about and bring people to a place of peace.
This story appeared in the January 2026 issue of Columbus Monthly. Subscribe here.
This article originally appeared on Columbus Monthly: Sculptor Renate Fackler Brings Bronze to Life in Licking County Studio
Reporting by Tim Johnson, Columbus Monthly / Columbus Monthly
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
