I created this humpback whale sculpture for two dear friends as a late wedding present and a timely housewarming gift. I asked them what they might like and they requested a whale, which was very exciting because that was on my shortlist of things I wanted to create! I love it when that happens.

It was so much fun to form all the little barnacles and bumps that make a whale seem old and weathered, and in my opinion even more beautiful! One thing that was surprisingly challenging was creating the tail because unlike a fish tail that is in line with the rest of the body, the whale's tail is perpendicular, which would mean half of it should go straight into the wall. So I had to create a smaller fin and angle it up to make it appear foreshortened. It was hard to get the illusion just right but I think it ended up working out pretty well! The blue and purple heat patinas across the body helped capture that deep ocean feel.

This metal whale sculpture is wall hanging, made entirely of stainless steel, colored using only heat patinas, and is safe to be kept outdoors!