Sequoias have always filled me with awe. They are giants of endurance, trees that make you crane your neck skyward and remind you just how small you are. I wanted to capture some of that feeling in a stainless steel tree sculpture that felt rooted, weathered, and alive.

I started the base by pushing the torch until the steel bubbled, giving the suggestion of rocky terrain around the roots in a golden-to-light-purple spectrum. From there, the trunk rose in layers of texture. I built the bark with weld lines, then cycled through coloring, grinding, and more coloring to mimic the deep grooves of living wood. At the edges of the branches and throughout the foliage, I let the torch do the weathering, burning edges, hammering in subtle bumps, and dotting the canopy with blue heat spots to give the illusion of overlapping leaves. Those details shifted as the light moved, so the tree never quite looked the same twice.

This sequoia tree sculpture has two options for the trunk texture. One with welded bark texture and the other smooth with flame painted colorful striping. Both options are shown in the photos.

See also my other tree sculptures: Tree of Life and Live Oak Tree.

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