Here is a new piece I did over the weekend. I have the idea for a while, just finally took the time Saturday. It is mild steel and copper and is about 28 inches tall.

It's funny that when something is supposed to happen, it seems to come so easy. Time flies when it's fun.

Yellow Oak - Wire Tree Sculpture.
18"wide x 17"high x 17" deep. Tree is made of 18 & 26 gauge silver colored steel wire. The end of each twig is hammered flat and painted a bright yellow, using enamel, to form hundreds of leaves. The tree is secured into a round maroon colored glazed container in a sand and pebble mound directly in the center of several large textured stones. The sand is painted using India ink to look like moss. The overall sculpture has the feel of a mighty oak tree in all its colorful glory. When displayed in direct sunlight or very bright lights, the sculpture seems to glow a bright yellow.

Hi All, I am submitting another proposal for an outdoor public park commission and could use help in choosing a material. There will be two materials involved with the project. The "base" will be out of rusting steel, with an organic element out of another material above it. I want the material to be maintenance free and there will be some forge work and welding involved. The materials I've been considering are Stainless Steel, Bronze, or Copper to create a contrast to the rust color. With the stainless I'd probably try to color it with heat or leave silver, copper patina green, and the bronze I'd either patina brown or green. I have experience fabricating stainless, but not forging any of the materials or welding copper or bronze. My three main criteria are the cost of material, skill level needed, and time involved with forging/fabricating with the material. Copper may not be an option due to theft, but I'd still like peoples opinions. I'd like to hear peoples experiences and opinions of these materials.

Dark Brown Oak - Wire Tree Sculpture
7"H x 7"W x 8"D. The basic tree sculpture is created in 24 & 26 gauge galvanized steel wire which was treated to accept a dark brown matte enamel paint. The end of each wire is hammered flat creating a pointed leaf which is then bent downward. All the leaves are painted in bright gold enamel paint producing a visual contrast between the leaves and the rest of the tree. The tree is planted on a 4" circle made of sea sand and pebbles then bonded onto a cork base. The root mound is painted using yellow green and white India ink creating a look and texture of moss covered earth.

Bonsai Island #2 - Wire Tree Sculpture
13"wide x 16"high x 13" deep. Tree is made of 18 & 26 gauge silver colored steel wire. The branches and twigs contain hundreds of multi-colored tiny glass fringe beads. Each bead is interwoven with the wire giving the structure of the tree a more natural look. The tree, and a very interesting piece of driftwood, are mounted on various size and shaped pieces of blue stained glass. All is bound together in sand and pebbles. The sand is painted using India ink to look like moss. The overall piece has the feel of a tropical island set in the center of a deep blue sea. When displayed in direct sunlight or very bright lights, the sculpture is ablaze with reflective color.