Painted Aluminum Wall Sculpture

Project by Victor Garcia from Bradenton, Fla.

When Victor moved from Mexico, he immediately went to school to learn a trade. Commercial welding proved to be a practical and reliable career for the hard-working and down-to-earth newcomer. Soon he started playing around with the medium in his spare time, and to his surprise, he discovered a creative outlet that would utilize his previously ignored artistic talents.

Materials:

22-1/2" long square aluminum tube bright anodized 1 x 1
24" of 2" round aluminum tube
24" of 1" round aluminum tube
two 3" x 3" pieces mesh aluminum
12" x 24" sheet 12-gauge aluminum sheet
assorted spray paint
plasma-cutter band saw
miter saw
4 clamps
masking tape
drill and drill bits
tape measure
grinder or file
welder
gloves

Steps:

1. Cut four pieces of bright aluminum square tube 1" x 1". Need to make inside frame 8" x 15-1/2".

2. Take the 2-inch diameter tube and 1-inch diameter tubing and cut them into 16 pieces from each tube.

3. Draw patterns on 12" x 24" sheet of aluminum. Victor used three circles, several abstract leaf shapes, fin shapes, and abstract shapes.

4. Cut out shapes with a plasma cutter.

5. Draw circles and outer shapes onto mesh.

6. Weld four pieces of 24-inch-long sea pearl aluminum tube together to form outside frame square.

7. Weld the two 15-1/2-inch and the two 8-inch aluminum pieces to form a rectangle, which will serve as the interior rectangle.

8. Weld round mesh cut outs to one side of each circle.

9. Set rectangle inside of square and weld to outside frame by using the two 3-1/2-inch and two 7-3/8-inch square aluminum pieces.

10. Weld the different shapes and circles to fit inside the openings of the two frames.

11. After welding circles, remove burrs from edges on both sides by burning ends of circles.

12. Place masking tape on areas where you do not want to apply paint. Start paint application to your liking with assorted colors of acrylic paint. You do not have to wait until it is dry. Allow the colors to fuse into each other.

13. Remove masking tape after paint is dry.

14. Flip piece over and drill one hole into the center of the 24-inch square aluminum tube. This will create a way to hang the piece.

Web site: www.garciagalleries.com

E-mail: vgarcia5912@yahoo.com