Seattle Space Needle In-Progress Pictures

I have a few pictures of me working on the Space Needle Sculptures. I still have one more Space Needle to go!

These next two are all close to the same, they show me heating the piece of steel up so that I can tack and weld the Needle legs in place. Normally I wouldn't need to heat up the areas I want to weld, but in this case I am welding to a hardened piece of steel which is an old plow blade.

I have the bottom of the Needle on top of a large round of steel to keep it off the ground and to make it easier for me to work on.

Welding the legs in place.

This is my favorite picture. 

You can see my tiny work space! It's not as bad as it may look in this picture, it's actually a good sized area. You can see that I am just at the stage of putting on the lower parts of the Needle.

I am super excited to hear what people say about my work. Please if you come to my blog and you see something you like, or don't like leave a comment! Or you can email me at orangeoverlord@gmail.com

THE SEATTLE SPACE NEEDLE! Update!

Hello! Hello! I have some more pictures!

Here it is! It stands around 6 feet tall! 

The little screws inside represent people looking out of the windows. The bottom row is the restaurant and the top row is the observation deck!

 

Can you guess that there are about 20 different parts just to the top half? Maybe even more? 

This is the first of two, this one I am donation to Shadow Lake Elementary for their Read a Thon fundraiser. The goal is to have a local author come and read to the kids at the school.

More pictures to come soon!

THE SEATTLE SPACE NEEDLE!

As you may or may not know I have been working on two Seattle Space Needle sculptures; one for donation to Shadow Lake Elementary and the other to be donated to the Seattle Space Needle management! I have almost completed the first one but I wanted you to be able to see the the progress...  So here are some pictures!

Here is the very beginning! The bottom is from a plow and all the rest are Space Needle parts! This is with only two legs.

This is a picture with three legs! Woo!

If you where wondering how I got all the legs exactly the same here is the secret! I made one then turned it into a die. Very leg made from it was almost exact to this original one.

I seem to be missing some pictures of my next steps, but here is what I started working with after the legs where completed. 

I will get more pictures up very very soon! I need to find some and take some new ones! Please email me at orangeoverlord@gmail.com if you are interested in having something made for You! 

Guitar Mic Stand!

Hello! I have pictures of my newly completed Mic Stand! This was made for a non profit auction for our local, Dace's Rock 'N" More, here in Maple Valley!! Check it out! I used some parts from the Space Needle Project which I am currently working on for the Shadow Lake Elementary.

This is the beginning of the guitar.

Here it is after I put it on the stand and used heat to color the middle.

It is all made from recycled materials.

The guitar is made from bailing wire, nails, a stone cutting saw blade, and steel cables from the Space Needle. The main shaft is also made from Space Needle parts. The original mic stand parts were refinished and repaired. It is fully functional. 

A very grand, very exciting idea...

I have been a very busy, busy guy. I am not only designing my 5 sculptures at any given free time I get, I am also trying my hardest to get connected. I have been emailing other metal sculpture artists from California to Washington. The list is small, but I am finding more and more artists every day.

My idea is this, what if artists like me had a way of communicating with each other; a way of discussing art, to argue, or collaborate together? I think we all could learn so much. I have been finding some websites with this general idea but to make a group you have to pay money, Monthly! To some this wouldn’t be such a big deal, but to me, I think it’s a rip off. With things like Facebook and MySpace and what have you, there should be a free site dedicated to connecting artists with similar tastes! Maybe I am asking too much but I think not.

So if you are one of the artists I have emailed I hope we can work together. I think with this idea we can not only help to promote our own work to new customers but help others artists grow as well. I really like the idea of meeting new and exciting people and I hope you do as well. I like to think about the six degrees of separation. I know some may think it’s a silly idea, but think about it. You could be six people away from that one person who could change your life for the better! You could even be less than six! That’s one of my driving forces to get this idea out there. I really look forward to what exciting new possibilities the future holds!

These are just some of the ideas buzzing around in my head; I have many, many more. I’ll be working on some more designs this weekend and starting a few sculptures. I’ll post pictures ASAP!!

Clinton

THE BIG ONE!!!

I got a hint from my previous client that another opportunity was coming my way; I had no idea it was going to be such a HUGE opportunity!! I will be making two sculptures for auction; the first one is for the Shadow Lake Elementary in Maple Valley. Here come the best freakin’ part!!! My client’s husband, Ray, works for a hand rail company, who happened to be replacing the safety nets and rail on the SPACE NEEDLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not only that, but I get to USE the parts they are pulling off in the sculptures!! HOLLLY CRAPPP!!!!!!!!

So once I read that my mind Exploded with crazy ideas. The auction is to raise money so that an author or authors will come to the school and talk to the students. It is for the school’s reading program, “I PAWS to Read.” With this information, and the fact that I get to use Space Needle parts; this one huge idea hit me. I need to make a 5 foot tall Space Needle replica that is also a book shelf. Think about that for a moment….. Isn’t that a great idea!!!?? Not only will it be a book shelf but the top will rotate like a “lazy Susan.”

But are you ready for ANOTHER mind blowing thought!!??? Ray, says, ‘well you might want to make two Space needle replicas because the Space Needle would love one. They are worried about what we are doing with the parts we are replacing. If you remember when they blow up the King Dome people where selling chunks of it for $5 bucks; the Space Needle is worried that will happen to the old parts.’

My excitement level has gone higher than it has Ever gone before! Make a sculpture FOR the Space Needle!!?!? THAT IS SO AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! 

As you can tell I haven't been working on it at almost all times of the day....

But I cannot get ahead of myself. I not only have the sculpture for the school auction (the Space Needle Book shelf); I also have another to make for the same client. My client’s daughter is attending a dance school and she wants me to make another sculpture to be auctioned off online in February.

With all this to do you would think I wouldn't take on more, wouldn't you? Heck no! I also am making a mic stand for Dace's Rock 'N' More in Maple Valley, and I am modifying a computer table for another client! 

YES! BRING IT ON!!! I CAN HANDLE IT ALLLLLL!! 

You’re probably wondering how one man can take on 5 projects! Well, I was listing to a book on tape and I heard a piece of advice that I find very valuable. “Take 1 hour to plan and save yourself 4 hours of disaster.” For each project I am planning down to each little detail; writing it out or drawing it out. It has really helped me get a good clear image in my head of what I want to use for each sculpture. Check out, 100 Ways to Motivate Yourself, I’m not sure who it’s by but there is a ton of good advice in there.

The Finished Product! OH YEAH!

Here are my updated pictures of the Motorcycle Cup Holder.

Here is the Left side.

Here is a better picture of the Left side.

If you look closely at the Left side pictures, you will notice there is a chain hanging from the handle bar. It is a custom made bottle opener designed from my bottle opener on my key chain. 

Here is the Right side/ Front view.

The head on the man riding the motorcycle is a speedometer from a Harley Road King. It also is a bobble head, meaning it bounces up and down on a spring.

Here is a better picture of the Right side.

This custom made piece was made for $300. I was provided with quite a few parts from my client's husband's shop without him knowing! In the end, my client’s husband truly enjoyed his Father's Day gifts. The Motor Cycle Cup holder was suppose to go outside near the fire place but he loved it so much a place was made for it inside his man cave.
 

I also made some table side lamps out of Harley pistons and air filter covers. Here are some pictures; these lamps also double as ashtrays for cigars.

Here you can see the light bulb inside the air filter cover.

A full view.

Looking inside the cylinder; perfectly made for enjoying a good cigar. 

"96 Cubic Inches Road King," I used a chrome lug nut to keep the air filter secure. 

 

Here is one in it's new home!

I also made a lamp for the man who helped my client pick out all the parts and from her husband's shop, her husband's best friend, and the Godfather to their daughters. I made him one lamp but it just wasn't Manly enough, so I made this one instead.

I made this out of a motorcycle tail pipe.

Here is another picture in my work space.

These sculptures for this client really made me feel good about my work. I have been talking with quite a few people about life ambitions, dreams, and goals. Everyone, I mean, EVERYONE, has said the same thing, “Do what you love! Find a way to make doing what you love, your passion; the thing that truly makes YOU happy, make you money. Then DO IT!!!”

I don’t know why it has taken so long for me to really understand this, but I understand now! A normal 8 hour job doesn’t make ME happy. Making metal art makes ME happy. It’s what I want to do, if I can make money doing it then that is a bonus! Don’t worry I will keep my job for now….. But you could bet large amounts of money on what I am doing every weekend from now on until my art can sustain a consistent income.

Thank you Sid and Kartha, you gave me that kick in the ass I needed. If you every want another piece made don’t hesitate to contact me!