BIRDS OF PREY

I made three hawk patterns. All three were crafted from rusted steel, then coated with Rustoleum® clear, indoor/outdoor finish. Each bird mounted atop an inexpensive 4 foot long steel rod. 

See the individual photographs and descriptions for more details.

FEMALE RED-TAILED HAWK

Accurately detailed, with wings realistically posed in a "full soar" configuration, this impressive life-size bird is crafted from rusted 18 gauge steel - strong enough to hold its shape, but light enough to move slightly with the wind. The wings span just over 48 inches from tip to tip, the body is 25 inches from beak to tip-of-tail, and the body is approximately 6 inches from back to belly.

MALE RED-TAILED HAWK

Accurately detailed, with wings realistically posed in a "full soar" configuration, this life-size bird, like its living counterpart, is about 25% smaller than the female of the species. Like the female hawk sculpture, it is crafted from rusted 18 gauge steel - strong enough to hold its shape, but light enough to move slightly with the wind. The wings span just over 41 inches from tip to tip, the body is 21 inches from beak to tip-of-tail, and the body is approximately 5 inches from back to belly.

SHARPSHINNED HAWK

The sharpshinned hawk's diet is largely composed of songbirds. Accurately detailed, and depicted realistically in a "pursuit" configuration, this  life-size bird is crafted from rusted 18 gauge steel and coated with a clear indoor/outdoor finish. In the piece shown at the left there are two songbirds, similarly crafted and mounted on small rod stock which is curved to show their individual flight paths. The wings of the sharpshinned hawk span approximately 24 inches from tip to tip, the hawk is 15 inches from beak to tip-of-tail, and the body is approximately 3 inches from back to belly. With the attached songbirds, the overall end-to-end length increased to approximately 28 inches.

BUTTERFLIES A-PLENTY

I made three butterfly patterns. All in either natural rust finished or rust finish augmented with paint. The paint augmentation gave finished ornaments a flash of color and an appearance of slight iridescence. See the individual photographs for more details.

MONARCH

Mounting: 5/16" mild steel rod, 48" long. Shorter mounting rod of 36" also be used when more than one butterfly ornament is mounted in a single flower bed,

LACE-WING SWALLOW-TAIL

Mounting: 5/16" mild steel rod, 48" long. Shorter mounting rod of 36"  used when more than one butterfly ornament was mounted in a single flower bed, providing a more pleasing arrangement to the eye. This one has a natural rust finish.

  MONARCH - PAINT AUGMENTED

Mounting: 5/16" mild steel rod, 48" long.  The underlying rust finish on this one is augmented using two hues blue, giving an impression of iridescence.

FANTASY BUTTERFLY

Mounting: 5/16" mild steel rod, 48" long. This one has a natural rust finish that will deepen and darken slightly over time.

FAIRY TAG

Mounting: 5/16" mild steel rod, 24" long. Playing a carefree game of tag, these two dance above the flowers in your garden, swinging and turning with changes in the wind direction. The wings of the fairy and the bumble bee are lightly polished to bring about differences in the coloring, then allowed to begin rusting. A slightly different rust finish appears on the fairy's hair. The remainder of the piece comes with a natural rust finish that will deepen and darken slightly over time. The one shown here has a relatively light rust finish, but the one in my own garden has a deeply "tanned" appearance. Rust patterns vary from item to item and no two are alike.

FLOWER BED OUTHOUSE

The OUTHOUSE is equipped with a single mounting rod approximately 4" long. The piece has a natural rust finish that will deepen and darken slightly over time.

THE LAWN-NESS MONSTER

The LAWN-NESS MONSTER is equipped with a two mounting rods, each approximately 4" long. The wee beastie has a natural rust finish that will deepen and darken slightly over time. Set in my flower bed, the horizontal support bar across the bottom of the piece is virtually invisible!

GARDEN MUSHROOMS

This MUSHROOM ornament is equipped with a single mounting rod approximately 4" long. The elegant "storybook" mushrooms have a natural rust finish that will deepen and darken slightly over time. I put them in my garden beside the OUTHOUSE ornament for a nice combination.

GARDEN ANGEL

Mounting: 5/16" mild steel rod, 24" - 36" long.  The entire piece was allowed to acquire a natural rust finish, then the angel was polished to achieve a vivid contrast with the wings.

WALL ANGEL

VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL to the garden angel described above, each wing is pierced along the top edge to permit wall mounting. The wings are angled backwards, then bent at the "wrists" so they lie flat against the wall while pushing the angel's body forward for a pleasing 3-D appearance.

GREAT BLUE HERON - RUST

This inquisitive bird stands approximately two feet high, and is equipped with a leg spike to anchor him in my garden. Colored in natural rust finish, the hues will darken and richen over time.

GREAT BLUE HERON - COLOR

This colorful variant of the bird shown at left is polished and then colored by specific and precise applications of a small oxy/acetylene gas jet. The various oxidation hues suggest plumage and shading, making the piece seem almost alive. As with the rust-finished heron described to the left, it stands approximately two feet high, and is equipped with a leg spike to anchor him in my garden. 

FANTASY FISH

Mounting: 5/16" mild steel rod, 12" - 18" long.  Alone or in a "school", this fish looks great swimming through my flower bed. With more than one fish ornament mounted in amy flower bed, it was more pleasing to the eye to have them mounted at different heights. The entire piece is finished in a natural rust.

TROUT

Mounting: 5/16" mild steel rod, 12" - 18" long. The entire piece is finished in a natural rust.

PERCH

Mounting: 5/16" mild steel rod, 12" - 18" long. Shorter mounting rod of 12" may also be used. Alone or in a "school", this fish looks great swimming through my flower bed.  The entire piece is finished in a natural rust.

A PAIR OF PERCH

Mounting: 5/16" mild steel rod, 12" - 18" long. These two perch are real buddies, always sticking close together, and they look fabulous swimming through my flower bed. The entire piece is finished in a natural rust.

HUMMINGBIRD

Mounting: 1/4" mild steel rod, 24" - 36" long. Crafted of 18 gauge steel with a natural rust finish, this hummingbird stands nearly 12 inches tall.

PEGASUS

Mounting: 1/4" mild steel rod, 24" - 36" long. Crafted of 18 gauge steel with a natural rust finish, Pegasus' wings span nearly 24 inches.

DRAGONFLY

Mounting: 1/4" mild steel rod, 24" - 36" long. Shorter mounting rod of 24" may also be used. This dragonfly has a natural rust finish that will deepen and darken slightly over time.

DRAGONFLY

Mounting: 1/4" mild steel rod, 24" - 36" long. The dragonfly was rusted first, then the rust finish was augmented with a discrete application of spray paints which give the finished ornament an appearance of slight iridescence.