The tentacles were the real test. Curves and tapers are two of the trickiest things to create in stainless steel because the metal simply doesn't want to bend that way. When you form it into a cone, you can't also make it curve, so I had to coax the illusion of movement with a grinder, layering textures to suggest overlapping arms and bending only the outer edges to give the sense of full, twisting tentacles.
The suckers were where I had the most fun. I planned every weld to land behind them so that when I ground the silver details into place, the weld marks disappeared. What's left is a trail of polished suckers that pop against the shifting colors of the tentacles.
For the eyes, I wanted that wet look so I buffed them to a mirror finish. They catch the light, and then I cut out their strange sideways pupils. The only paint on the entire piece is the black paint on the inside of the eyeball to create the pupil, so when you look into its eye it feels like it's looking right back.
This octopus sculpture is wall hanging, made entirely of stainless steel, colored using only heat patinas, and is safe to be kept outdoors!
