My metal butterfly sculptures are some of my favorite pieces to make. A real butterfly wing is a miracle of color and structure, and trying to capture that in something as rigid as stainless steel is a beautiful puzzle. For my Blue Morpho butterfly sculpture, the entire challenge was getting that signature electric blue right. I had to color the wings carefully and grind back to layered blues to give them dimension when light hits the surface. For the Monarch butterfly sculpture I worked the orange and gold patina spectrum and used careful grinding to suggest the dusting of scales on each wing. The Tiger Swallowtail, the Zebra Swallowtail, the Blue Cracker, the 88 Butterfly, the Orange Lacewing, the Turquoise Swordtail. Every species is its own study in symmetry and color.
Dragonflies are equal parts engineering marvel and miniature work of art. Their four wings have to look weightless even though steel is anything but. For my metal dragonfly sculpture I focused on getting the vein structure of the wings right with very fine cuts, then I colored the body through the full heat patina spectrum so it shifts from blue at the head down through purple and gold along the abdomen. The smaller metal dragonfly sculptures I make are more intimate, sized for tighter wall arrangements or tabletop display, but they get the same care in the wings as the larger pieces.
The metal beetle sculpture and the wasp pushed me into different territory. Beetles have this armored quality, a kind of lacquered shell that almost looks polished. To recreate that in stainless steel I worked hard on the surface treatment, layering colors and grinding back until the shell read as glossy and dimensional. The wasp was an exercise in danger and elegance at the same time, all sharp angles and translucent wings. And then there's the orb weaver spider, which surprised me with how delicate and architectural it ended up looking. Spiders aren't usually anyone's first thought for wall art, but I think this one might change a few minds.
Almost all of my metal insect sculptures are safe for outdoor display. Stainless steel is naturally weather resistant, so a butterfly or dragonfly hanging in a garden, on a fence, or on a covered porch will hold its color in rain, sun, and humidity. I have pieces that have been outside for years and they look the same as the day I finished them. Every sculpture you see here is an original design I cut, shaped, welded, ground, and colored myself in my studio in Durham, North Carolina. No molds, no casts, no outsourcing.
I hope you enjoy browsing the collection. If you have a favorite insect you don't see here, I'd love to hear about it. Custom metal butterfly and dragonfly sculptures are some of my favorite commissions to take on.