Custom Metal Art

I initially started making custom metal art as a way to relax. In my job as a manager, I mostly deal with people and problems that are sort of abstract in nature. I try to increase productivity, streamline communications, solve interpersonal conflicts and that sort of thing. Having a really hands-on hobby like making metal artwork is really good for me because it allows me to deal with very concrete goals. Making a particular piece involves designing an actual physical object. You follow the steps, do the work and when you are done, you have something shiny and attractive to display on the mantle piece. I find that tremendously gratifying

I was first inspired when the office bought a new 3 dimensional sculpture incorporating our logo rom a well known local custom metal artist. I was part of the group assigned to find and commission the outdoor display advertising our company. Our core business is in industrial manufacturing, so we immediately thought of custom metal art as a way to advertise it. Having a unique display would distinguish our company, making it stick out despite our bland office in a typical Midwestern office park.

I had originally thought that I would be restricted in my choices – that my job would be hard because there weren't many options out there. In reality, I ended up having exactly the opposite problem. There were custom metal art workshops which used forged iron, welded steel, pounded copper and many other different materials and techniques to produce unique looks. The custom art world catered to a huge variety of tastes from simple, tin folk art inspired works to huge sculptures that evoked the massive mechanical power of factories. It was almost impossible to chose!

In researching the different kinds of custom metal art available, I got a great opportunity to learn about some of the techniques. I learned about the durability of iron and steel, the weathering of copper and the workability of aluminum as I prepared to brief my company on the choices available. We eventually chose something with a more classic look that I would have guessed; It is made out of copper, and has ornate curves and a rich patina from heat treatment and weathering.

My own forays into custom metal art were inspired by the piece we chose. I found out that I liked copper best because it is so workable and has a color I really like. With simple hand tools and occasional help from a torch, I've learned to work it into boxes, signs, statues and other creations.

Abstract Metal Sculpture

I got into abstract metal sculpture quite by accident. At the time, I was actually trying to make a penguin out of wires. I spent about a week on it, working for an hour every day after school. It was a life-sized penguin with what I thought were compelling and detailed features that anyone would recognize. When I showed it to my friend, however, he seemed to think it was a piece of abstract art. He commented on the line quality, the texture and the composition but, when I asked him what he thought it was, he sheepishly admitted that he didn't know. I realize at that moment that I had no future as a realist, but I might make a decent abstract artist.

I made my next abstract metal sculpture out of pieces of recycled cans. I would cut them with tin snips, bend over the edges so that they would not cut anyone, and solder the pieces together. It was not a very good sculpture, since I didn't really understand metal soldering at that point. It fell apart pretty quickly, but it lasted for long enough for me to get a couple compliments. I was hooked.

As I learned about new ways to work metal, I became more and more intrigued by abstract metal sculpture. Soon, I was making multimedia sculptures by building complex metallic forms on top of wood blocks, stools and other wooden bases. At that point I hadn't really come up with a style for myself. Every abstract sculpture was different, and the quality was really hit or miss. It took me about a year before I finally found my voice.

Strangely enough, my current style is more like that first abstract metal sculpture than the wildly imaginative things I was making for the next year. I finally realized that I liked wire a lot better than anything else I have been using for the simple fact that it is easy to work with and gives clear, structured lines to the piece. My Abstract metal sculptures also incorporate pieces of tin and, occasionally, strips of copper, but they are mostly made out of bent, flattened, filed and otherwise manipulated lengths of wire. The nice thing about it is that I don't have to spend a lot of money for supplies. There are almost always old coat hangers, broken electronics or other things to scavenge for wire so I really only need to spring for solder, paint and an occasional new tool.