Mike Thompson | Metal Sculpture
Mike has spent the last 30 years employed in the corporate world, but now follows his passion for creating animals and birds from old tools.
His technique involves spot welding the metal pieces together to create the sculpture, keeping the form as anatomically accurate as possible. Mike also likes to keep the tools identifiable and does not like to grind or distort the original beyond being recognisable. The individual tools are selected for their shape and then cut and bent to create the form required, finally being welded into place.
Mike likes to showcase the tools origins by highlighting any cast makers marks or place of manufacturer as well as using bolts, nuts and handles from the tools to use as much or the original tool as possible.
Once completed the sculpture is allowed to take on the rust patina by spending a period outside, before receiving a final finish of natural and pigmented wax to highlight features and edges of the tools.
Mike’s pieces can be displayed inside or outside, where the wax coating will eventually weather allowing more rust to form creating an ever changing red brown patina.
Mike enjoys the challenge of creating commissions using some tools from the Client, maybe their own or indeed from an old or deceased relative. It allows for a deep connection to the piece and for the old tools to have a new purpose celebrating the life of someone dear.
