Our latest creation was a commission to make a special surprise 60th birthday present in the form of an Ammonite sculpture, let us tell you the story.
Firstly, What Is An Ammonite?
They were ocean living shelled cephalopods, that were in existence about 66 million years ago. The shells of the extinct cephalopods and now found fossilized around the world and are popular with fossil collectors. (Natural History Museum, 2024)
Theory To Concept
So where do you start with creating an ammonite sculpture? William had a meeting with the client to discuss their thoughts and ideas. As a surprise birthday present it needed to be impactful and meaningful. The recipient has a keen interest in fossils, so what better sculpture than the widely known ammonite.
William then set about how he could turn a fossil into a unique piece of metal art. It was decided that a large replica ammonite fossil nestled in the side of a rock would have that wow factor. The client and William concluded that horseshoes would form the ammonite itself with the surrounding rocks being sheet metal.
The Creation Process
William initially drew out the shell shape on a piece of sheet metal, to use as a guide. Horseshoes were then hand forged to create the individual spirals of the shell and welded onto the metal backing sheet. This process takes time with each horseshoe being heated up in the forge, straightened by hand and then curved to the required shape of each spiral piece.
The surrounding rock feature was created using 3mm thick steel sheeting. This was cut and then welded at angles to create the appearance of a rock. Once completed the whole sculpture was mounted on a handmade metal base to make it freestanding.
Finishing Touches
Finally, the sculpture was coated in a mixture of brick cleaner and water to speed up the natural rusting of the metal and bring out that gorgeous rustic copper colour. The ammonite itself was then coated in a clear lacquer spray to create a deep brown shine making it stand out against the rock. The finished sculpture measures 1.3 metres tall and 1 metre wide.
We are excited to deliver this sculpture to its surprise recipient and see it in situ at its new home.
Would you like a unique sculpture? Got an idea but not sure where to start? Feel free to contact us to discuss your requirements.