Liz Gilbert writes about how ideas become reality in her recent book, Big Magic.  She says “Ideas are driven by a single impulse:  to be made manifest.  And the only way an idea can be made manifest in our world is through collaboration with a human partner.”

We have an idea

Earlier this year, we were contacted by Bruce and Mark.  Both fishing enthusiasts, they wanted to create a fish spinner for gifts and their home.  They had seen one in a yard, but wanted to refine the design to be more realistic.  Pattern pieces were created using cardboard.  Finally, Bruce and Mike laid them out and decided how the round stock needed to be bent in the shape they were after.

The Jigsaw Puzzle Begins

Mike photographed the pattern pieces and created digital images.  These images were used to cut the individual pieces from steel – head, fins, and tails.  Bruce researched and bought the hardware to make the spinner, well – spin.  Two or three iterations evolved, with Bruce and Mike bending and welding steel to fabricate the fish.  (Mark had undergone surgery during this process and was unable to participate, much to his dismay!)

ideas become reality

Ideas Become Reality

Once the final prototype was approved by Bruce and Mark, production began.  Mike cut, ground, welded, patina, and clear coated 100+ individual pieces to create 16 fish spinners.  Bruce and Mark loved the finished product.  Their ideas had become reality!

ideas become reality

Four and twenty fish spinners in a row!

That’s What We Do

We’ve heard from many customers that they had been looking for someone to help them turn their idea into something concrete (or in this case – steel).  This particular project started when Bruce was picking up some custom decor switches his wife had ordered.  He and Mark had been trying to find someone to help them with their fish spinner for quite some time.  Once he looked at the metal art on the wall, his mind started working overtime.  What if…

So, if you have an idea for custom metal art, just contact us!  We make ideas become reality!