Client: NINE dot ARTS in Denver, Colorado contracted with me to design, fabricate and install the artwork at the Northwest Apartments.

Overview

“Nature Friends” celebrates wildlife found along Colorado’s Front Range. These creatures are people’s neighbors; many readily seen, others quite hidden from human sight. They share our open spaces, our backyards and parks. On this artwork the Bald Eagle, Coyote, White Pelican, Raccoon, Cottontail Rabbit, Great Horned Owl, Mule Deer, Prairie Dog, Red-winged Blackbird, and Northern Leopard Frog are represented. Hopefully the sculpture will inspire awareness of these beings, generate gratitude for their existence, and stimulate efforts to protect them so they may roam free.

Made from weathering steel and glazed ceramic, the artwork requires minimal ongoing maintenance. The weathering steel (ASTM grade A588) will take on a rust patina over time and then self seal, requiring no surface treatment. The ceramic work is made from a mid-range, highly grogged clay body that has a very low moisture absorption rate (around 1%) so it is highly resistant to extreme weather conditions and freeze/thaw cycles. The glaze colors will not fade.

Goals

The goal was to provide artwork for a new affordable housing apartment development "like a mile marker or trail markers that also show the beauty of the nature and animals in the county." "It will be really unique to actually have some original art at an affordable housing project." The client provided the location and the concrete pad for the sculptures. My ceramic work often features wildlife themes and it was a great fit for me.

Process

I worked with NINE dot ARTS at all stages of the project. They interfaced with the client.