Sculpture so real even the birds are fooled

Here a young blue jay is trying to make sense of this artful handrail. I guess this means we were successful in capturing a bit of nature in this recycled steel handrail. I should keep in mind that he/she is just a young bird and not yet wise to the world.

Since installation, this functional sculpture has attracted many comments and much wildlife. Both being of the positive and negative sort. Of course we get the occasional comment about it being a pile of rusty twisted metal or something someones grandpa pulled out of their barn. Bird droppings are sometimes right where you don't want them, however, for the most part, the comments are kind and the wildlife is entertaining.

When presented with an opportunity fix or improve a space it is important to not only think functionally but also aesthetically. Seize the day, go out on a limb and try something new.

Functional Garden Art

We had this handrail made for us by the talented artist Diane Mattern. She is a local artist here in Omaha and we actually carry a handful of her sculptures in our shop. Diane has an eye for rustic garden art and we love to use her work in our client's landscapes. She does amazing arbors and will even do a unique detail on a garden gate. We have enjoyed our new handrail since April and we have watched it form its beautiful patina over the summer. We are so excited to see what it looks like in the snow!

Of course, as a landscape designer, I am a little more concerned with my client's landscapes and projects during the warm months. You can see in the bottom photo that we are working on our front porch. We have been slowly chipping away at it all summer. It should be completed soon and we will post some pictures for you.

I am also very busy this week with a project in Fremont, NE. There is a wedding in their backyard this Friday (yikes) and due to the recent rains in our area, we are rushing to complete it! We will have it done though and I look forward to posting about it soon.