The Process

Denver artist Raelee Frazier has accomplished what serious fans and collectors have long desired. She has immortalized Denver bronco quarterback John Elway's gifted hands.

Using a process that requires the utmost skill, delicate precision and sensitive artistry, Frazier is the mastermind and designer of John Elway's hands in Bronze.

"Hands tell the story," says Frazier, who works out of her delightfully cluttered downtown Denver studio. Amidst official Super Bowl footballs and signed autographs of athletes expressing their appreciation to her, Frazier creates magnificent works of art.

The process - which requires less than two hours of the player's time and countless hours of Frazier's work - is one using wax, water and molten bronze. Frazier prefers to go to the athletes office or home to make the original wax mold. She brings tubs large enough to accomodate football players' huge hands and first asks them to shave the backs of their hands and wrists. Next the player dips his hand into a vat of warm wax, then cold water and back and forth, creating a sort of wax glove. She carefully removes the wax and returns to her studio to begin the two month long painstaking process.

Here are some pictures of Troy Aikman getting his hands done. Checkout John Elway, Dan Marino, Joe Montana, The One-Armed Bandit, and Greg Maddux.

The hands are cast at the foundry of Boyce Bronze Casting in Arvada, Colorado and the final result is fine bronze art. The hands grip a regualtion NFL footbal - in Elway's case and official Super Bowl XXXII ball - and are mounted onto a wood base complete with the athlete's signature.

One bronze cast recently brought $40,000 at the annual John Elway Celebrity Auction in Denver. The distinguished artist creates a limited edition of her bronzes and in honor of Super Bowl XXXII, produced 32 casts of Elway's hands. The mold is then destroyed. Fraiser made sure Elway received the number 7 cast! Collectors and buyers have purchased each of the remaining prized casts. A certificate of authenticity accompanies each. Frasier has also cast the hands of Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino, Dallas Cowboys Troy Aikman and San Francisco 49er's Joe Montana.