Been working on a butterfly garden sculpture as a gift for someone who, well, likes butterflies. This piece is a mixture of cast-off and new steel. I sorta designed it as I went. Here are some progress shots. Sorry, about the cluttered backgrounds...the shop has been real busy lately. OK, this first shot shows the wings, body and head parts before I attached them. This part of the process is where I really see how the shapes work together.
After some assembly, the piece is held in a vise so I can figure out how the rest of the insect will come together.
Here's a close-up of the bug's eye sockets, head and antennae.
Now, here's a close-up of the eyes completed.
I trimmed down the length of the body and added some details.
Finally, I attached the butterfly to a flower base. All of this rests on a stake that can be driven into the ground. A little bit of polishing with a wire brush and some clean-up of the welds and this sculpture is ready to go.
