Rufous Hummingbird flies to Washington

Some of our favorite sculptural characters have put on a new skin! Our ruby throated hummingbird was customized to favor the Rufous variety, native to Washington State. Already installed in this location is a Northern Chorus Frog, also a local species. These little touches make each installation reflect the environment in which its placed.

A customer favorite, the whimsical sculpture of an inchworm, also got a new look. This cheerful fellow stands about 4 feet tall, just eye level with a child. His shorter companion, seems surprised by how tall children can be!

These pieces will be ready for viewing this spring at Discovery Playground at Mirabeau Point Park in Spokane Valley, Washington.

Memorial Sculptures

Our mission at Beechwood Metalworks has always been to make art for everyone to enjoy, young and old alike. We want fun pieces plus bright colors to result in a smile. Many of our sculptures are purchased by children's hospitals and parks with money donated to the project. Often times these donations are in memory of a loved one that has passed away. This is the case for many of the pieces we are making for Opportunities Inc. in Texarkana, TX. This company serves children and adults with developmental delays and disabilities, as well as the elderly. They are constructing a wellness trail, which will contain several memorial sculptures, with the hope that the pieces will bring joy to those that visit the space. For the families, it is a way to create a new and happy memory.

Our Baby Elephant Has Arrived!

This new addition to our sculptural line up caused serious birth pains. Over 370 hours of labor to be exact. "Peanut Butter" was first conceived in Casey's head while in college at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1997. Fast forward 13 years later, after learning the skills he would need to take on such a complex project and inlisting the welding talent of our foreman Mike Richardson, his dream is now a reality. "Peanut Butter" made her debut at the Willow Walk sculpture show in Burlington, NC this June and was purchased by the Alamance Arts Council and a private donor. She will now reside at the future Children's Museum of Alamance County in Graham, NC. The museum is set to open in 2011 and will feature more of our work in the sculpture garden.

Discovery Playground at Mirabeau Park

We had the pleasure of working with Ginno Construction and Design Concepts community and landscape architects on several sculptures for their latest destination playground in Spokane Valley, Washington. In addition to our giant pumpkin (see previous post), we designed a 6 foot tall cypress Adirondack chair, 3 varieties of our 4 foot tall steel flowers, a steel northern chorus frog, and a 4 foot tall dragonfly and cattail combination. These pieces were placed in the Secret Garden, an area surrounded by tall shrubs and accessed by a small archway in the greenery. The park also features a fossil dig, music area, water play, sensory garden, and is accessible to children of all abilities. We feel honored to be among the other artists and designers who make such a magical place a reality.

The Great Pumpkin- a new installation

Our newest sculpture is one of great size and just in time for the fall season. We were commisioned to make a series of sculptures for a fabulously fun new park in Spokane Valley, Washington (more on this in my next post!). The 7ft tall aluminum pumpkin comes already "carved" with a hollow interior playspace. Solidly constructed and handpainted with durable UV protective paint, this piece is ready for visitors!

New custom stairs for the true Duke Fan

In August we created a custom set of stairs with a central backbone for the treads to rest. The customer wanted stairs that were architectural in design but industrial in function. Casey came up with the "floating stringers" that are supported by only two 4"x4" steel columns. The visual effect makes these sturdy stairs seem to defy gravity. The effect will be emphasized when the sheet rock is placed over the metal studs in the background. The customer also wanted a way to load furniture onto the upper landing without having to go over the railing. We created a removable section of the railing that swings up and out of the way by simply removing a few bolts. This makes for a wide loading dock on the second floor. For the finishing touch, the color of the stairs exactly match that of the client's favorite team- Duke Blue.

UNC Hospital Skybridge- Roof top garden

This last week we installed the first phase of the UNC Hospital Skybridge Roof Top Garden in Chapel Hill, NC. This is located at the back of the hospital, outside the skybridge that connects Women's and Neuroscience hospitals. As the year progresses, we will add many flowers, ants, hummingbirds, mushrooms, and other critters -over 35 pieces in all! This scene is designed to camoflauge the air conditioning units that are prominant on the black rubber roof, and provide an uplifting view for patients, visitors, and staff.