Art in the Garden

Had a great weekend sitting in a beautiful garden. We set up a small display of Fossil Forge sculptures and other art pieces. Lots and lots of people visited the private garden and some even purchased something. Thanks to everyone for their support and I hope they enjoy their Fossil Forge original. The event took place over two gorgeous, sunny days. We set up across from a native plant vendor called Clear Creek Farms. It was nice to be close to other vendors for conversation. The pictures below show our setup.

Trouble headed to Tulsa

The boys and I piled into the old truck last Friday. We were heading down to Tulsa to set up as artists/vendors at the 16th Annual Audubon Backyard Habitat Gardening tour. Well, wouldn't you know it, just an hour out of Kansas City and the truck breaks down. The alternator belt disintegrated and the engine overheated. Lots of steam. Luckily, we coasted into a nearby Phillips 66 for help. A local mechanic (Thanks Andrew and Squirrel) came out and got us back on the road. The rest of the road trip was plagued with anxiety over the truck. But, we made it to Tulsa with no other problems.

A smiley face frozen in metal

Worked on a gift sculpture for a person who really likes the image of a smiley face. Problem is, I'm not that keen on cutesy imagery. So, I tried to put a little twist on the icon. This garden stake is cut with a ragged edge and top with a quirky scroll. Out in the yard it goes.

Metal art around the deck

Lattice is popular, sometimes I even see grooved plywood. But I wanted to try something different to close off the area under the deck. I plan on making metal panels, edged with steel bar, to create a mural-like effect. Right now, the area around this panel is just dirt. Eventually, the garden will provide a soothing contrast to the steel. I will let these panels rust naturally. Here is a photo of the first panel.

Green days in the garden

Lush spring is in full force here at Fossil Gardens. The plants are climbing the sculptures and offering a touch of color to the metal landscape. I put down some grass a few days ago and it is coming on strong. For me, the passage of time is one of the endearing qualities of a garden. Watching plants grow and sculptures changeis the essence of this place. The photos below show that attack of two fence sculptures - a trilobite and a dragonfly - by some vigorous vines. The bottom photo is the art fence showing off a skirt of green.

The trilobite sculpture has been here for over four years. It is aging well even with a garnish of green.

Welding and more welding

It has been a production line in the shop that last couple of days. Lots and lots of cutting and welding. I am making 11 steel fence sections stretching to more than 70 feet. Each section is six feet long and has 17 pickets that have to be welded in place. I made a jig assembly on my table to make it easy to slide rails into place and then add the pickets. No need for added measuring. It takes about one hour to complete a section. Here are a couple photos of a fence section under construction and the finished sections stacking up in the shop.

Lee's Summit School District logo in steel

This summer I will be working on a Teacher of the Year display for the school district. The logo is bit complicated to make because of the brush stroke design of the stylized graduate figure. I met with a high school industrial arts instructor for some help in cutting out the tricky logo. He used a CNC plasma cutter to quickly cut out the exact design. Man, I would love to have a machine like that in my shop. Here is the cut steel logo (below) and the formal district logo for a comparison. More on this project in the coming months. Stay tuned.

Building a garden trellis

Currently, I am building a steel garden fence, complete with two gates and a funky trellis. The trellis will fill a smaller portion of the main run of the fence. The idea is to make something of a centerpiece with some functionality. Here is shot of the first part of the fabrication. It is mostly round bar with some very large washers on the edges.

Springtime sun and butterfly

Been very busy in the shop working on fences, gates and railings, but I did find some time to create a couple of garden sculptures. The first photo shows a 'Sassy Sun' hanging sculpture. This piece is made from cut steel and found objects. I like the attitude this artwork displays. The second photo is a larger version of the butterfly garden stake. This is also from cut metal, adorned with blue glass eyes and other recycled materials. Enjoy!

Bottle Tree showing its colors

A gorgeous Spring day filled with sunshine. The light on the Bottle Trees, here at Fossil Gardens, is quite beautiful. I can't wait to have many more of these recycled sculptures sprouting throughout the garden.

Coat rack is ready for action

Here are a few shots of a coat rack project I am finishing up. The rack stands a touch over 6-feet tall. It is anchored by a heavy piece of machinery (not sure exactly what it is, but it is hefty!). I used some leftover rollers and rebar to add even more stability. The top is made up of old metal doorknobs, big eye bolts and some lag bolts. The doorknobs really shined up beautifully. The back of the rack has a swinging hanger that would be handy for scarves. I also added a umbrella hoop. A good coat of polyacylic and this functional sculpture is ready to go to its new home.

Found object display rack

One of the last pieces of this project was to make a clothing display stand. Of course, following the philosophy of the store, it had to made from cast-off and found steel objects. The base of the stand is made from metal rollers, lag bolts and some sorta flange and big washers. I used an old pipe for the body and capped it with a handsome piece of junk plumbing. For a final touch, I added a zig-zag shape, which is a design element from the shop. This sculptural display is heavy and ready to show off some garments.

Heavy-duty steel work counter for Ragz

Who doesn't need a solid steel counter for a workspace? Well, this counter definitely fits that bill. Using a base of mis-matched old metal cabinets, I transformed it into a chunky, funky work counter. The base is wrapped in classic corrugated tin, harvested from the fields of Missouri. The rust, dust and imperfections are souvenirs this metal shows off from its time with nature. Small pieces of angle iron are used on the corners to add some strength and keep the tin from snagging anything. The counter is topped off with an 8-foot slab of 1/4 inch steel plate. Needless to say, the whole counter is heavy and can take a beating. I went over the top with a sanding disc to create some cool swirls. Now, it's ready for action!

Hand-cut steel letters for Ragz

After cutting out the letters to make the large counter sign (see below), we mounted the leftover metal letters on the wall. These letters are also raised above the background using some spacers (cut pieces of hollow tube) and similar fasteners to the other signage in the shop.

Interior signage for Ragz Design House

Here is a second sign for the shop. This large (35 in. by 80 in.) metal sign is across the front of the main sales counter. This piece has hand-cut lettering and edges. The sign is mounted to the counter using 2-inch spacers that give it some extra dimension and creates some cool shadows. I used a basic grinding disc to give the metal some texture.

New retail sign for Ragz Design House

I have been working on a few pieces for a local clothing boutique that is opening a retail location in Crown Center. The shop specializes in creating garments from recycled items and clothing. Pretty cool stuff. These photos show the exterior sign. This is a two-sided piece made from 1/16 inch sheet and some 1/2 inch round bar. The rust finish on the letters was created using a mixture of saltwater and vinegar. The sign is sealed with a polyacrylic finish.

The zig-zag detail is part of the store's logo. This detail was made using some round bar. I made a special jig that helped make the bends.

The background of the sign has a ground finish. The whole piece fits over an existing structure on the outside of the storefront. It is fastened with several screws. Big shiny washers complete the look.

Here's a look at what the sign looks like from a distance. Ragz opens in early May. Check out their website here.

Crystal Sun

Finished up a sculpture for a local foundation auction. This was a fun piece to create. I call this Crystal Sun. I used lots of found objects and castoff steel and glass. This sculpture will look dazzling in front of a window or other light source. Outside, the sun will work its magic on the glass shards. Either place, the color will be cool.

A metal sign prototype

I have been working on a cool project for a new clothing boutique. The store specializes in handmade and recycled clothing items. This photo shows a small version of what will be a two-sided metal sign that will hang in front of the store. The sign is made from sheet steel and round bar. The rust will continue to ripen into a rich brown finish. I'll post more photos as I finish the final sign.

Garden Jellies

Here are a couple of garden chimes that I call 'Garden Jellies'. The shape of these reminds me of graceful jellyfish coasting through the sea. These steel jellyfish make a pleasant tinkling sound as the wind moves their tentacles.

A special piece of art for the garden

Worked on a neat Christmas commission recently. The parts of this garden totem included the hand prints of a couple, mixed with some timeless shapes. I cut a spiral from sheet steel and enclosed it into a metal ring. The hands were cut and welded to the edges. The curly-cues were hammered to a point and then scrolled into shape. Finally, a bright blue glass marble was added for color. The whole thing is perched atop a four-foot stake. That way, when summer plants grow up around the sculpture, it will still stand tall above the garden.