Friday, August 27, 2010

Iron Black Iris


This sculpture is made using the steel from a mower deck on a lawn tractor. I cut the deck up with a Sawzall and then cut the shapes using a throat less Beverly shear. I flattened the metal and then cold shaped the components using a stump and a hammer(around three pound). I heated the petal edges with an OA torch and shaped the ruffles while hot. This is new for me as I almost exclusively shape iron cold.I loved the colors and texture the heat produced, so I used this method to give the rest of the sculpture this look.The heat got rid of paint and safety stickers too.Its an interior sculpture still as the leaves will pool water at the stem.Each petal on the iris flower has a unique and pleasant sound when struck. I think this characteristic illustrates why they cut the slits in spherical bells, it produces a tuning fork effect. Over all I am pleased and will try to use thicker steel for a few more sculptures.

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