mardi 22 avril 2014

Let Your Creative Juices Flow With Metal Garden Art

By Essie Osborn


Even if your house is an architectural masterpiece, it won't be that impressive if the yard isn't up to scratch. A stunning garden can actually enhance your home and make it seem much more impressive than it is. Thoughtful landscaping can do wonders for the value of the property and with the clever use of metal garden art, you'll be able to impress everyone who comes to visit.

More and more people are opting for works of art to enhance their gardens. Metals such as iron, bronze, copper and aluminum are especially popular as the media to use. Old implements and even tin cans or other pieces of junk can get a new life as part of an eye-catching sculpture. Big or small, functional or quirky, the possibilities are endless.

A quick and easy project to start with is to make lettered signs. For this, you'll need wire, preferably quite thick, as well as pliers. Twist and bend the wire into letters to form words or phrases. Cursive lettering works best for this. Then fix the finished piece directly to a wall or a tree. Alternatively, mount it against a wooden block on top of a post that can be planted into the soil.

A little more complicated is to make silhouette cut-outs, for instance a woodpecker that you then fix to the trunk of a tree. You may also want to invest in welding equipment so that you can make larger, more intricate sculptures. Let your imagination run wild but take care that the pieces will blend in with and complement the plants.

Kinetic artworks are a great way to add some extra flair. These pieces can move, sometimes with the help of battery power but more often by utilizing the wind or the sun. There is a huge variety of wind spinners available, some with bits of colored glass added to not only create sound but a display of light as the wind makes the different parts move.

A great thing about garden art is that it doesn't have to be without function. Use it to embellish gates and fences, for instance. Create sculptures that can double as trellises, plant holders or even bird baths and feeders. They may even become the place where discerning birds build their nests. To turn your roof gutters into instant water features, make rain chains. These are so simple that the kids can help make them too.

Wind and rain will cause oxidation and your artworks will become rusty over time. To prevent this, simply paint or spray them with rustproofing. There's nothing wrong with rust, however. It can even give the pieces more character.

If you're not really artistically inclined, there's no reason why you can't have garden art. Simply buy some pieces from landscaping and gardening supply stores or online. Alternatively, ask an artist to create a unique piece just for you.




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