Ralph derives his inspiration for the creation of new pieces from painstaking research on antique collectibles. All of his lanterns and candy containers are based on historic examples. The process begins with the creation of a master sculpture in clay. Ralph fashions a rubber mold of the master sculpture from which he makes castings out of a paper-maché and plaster mixture. The castings are cured, refined and hand painted to create the look and patina of a one hundred year-old piece. Since Ralph’s reproductions are hand made from molds and materials similar to the originals, they often have the same weight and feel as the antique. Many of the surface materials are authentic as well, including flocking, feather trees, and antique mica.