www.artinsteel.co.uk
This is a temporary homepage as website is being upgraded. The aim here is to give a brief introduction to my practice.
The photographs give examples of my working styles with guideline prices where applicable
For more information feel free to contact me by phone or email anytime
Contact Alan Ross via
artinsteel1@gmail.com
075905 80853

I am a self employed sculptor working in mild steel. This has been a full time occupation since 2006. I am self taught as a metal worker and in the arts.
I have always had an interest in sculpture and started dabbling after an Introduction to welding course in 2004.

My practice is based in South Wales just outside Swansea; I have a large industrial unit just off The Gower Peninsula and am happy to receive visitors by arrangement.

As said above I am based in South wales, I have been based here for several years, I do export a good percentage of my work. I have samples of it in the USA, Middle East, Europe and Australia. Feel free to talk to me about exports

I have evolved my own style of working that relates to the 'Direct Metal Sculpture' approach that first appeared in the 1960's. In this approach there is almost no use use of applied heat eg blacksmithing, forge work or foundry work.
Instead the metal is cold formed and in my case welded together to make the finished piece of art.
I do use scrap metal and recycled materials where relevant but most of my work uses steel as supplied from the steel works.
In my case it is is from the steelworks in Port Talbot South Wales this makes for a nice connection with my local community

A lot of my work involves using open structures in which the viewer is able to fill in the spaces, almost like three dimensional line drawing.
The Guitarist below is an example of this, based on Lightnin' Hopkins the legendary blues singer. Sold, but a similar figure will cost around £1100. I have made many of these, as the site develops I will add more images

I take inspiration from many many sources. A lot of what I make is inspired by nature; I have a particular interest in marine life; I have made many sculptures of fishes ranging in size from around 3m down to about the size of a hand.
My most recent piece in this style was a Barbel in galvanized mild steel 2.5m long for a campsite on The River Severn.
This caused chaos as we delivered him o the roof of my car.
Approximate price for a piece like this is £2200, depending on size, finish and complexity.

Another old favourite, a John Dory also known as a St Peter Fish
This is sold but I have made lots of species in this style price varies according to size and complexity

I also developed an interest in the forms of Plankton inspired by the illustrations produced by Ernst Haeckel on the Challenger Voyage of 1872.
Below is a picture of one of my favourite pieces of work; a Saddle Diatom.
This piece sold some time ago, measured about 1m in diameter

Another area of my work is outdoor structures such as screens and arches, below is a screen I made to go on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. This was made to fit an exact spot and to frame the elements of the landscape. I have made several of these prices vary according to size and complexity; at this size around the £2000 mark

Another screen from several years ago, part of a set of five. My customer wanted to celebrate the newts in his garden pond, we spent ages discussing the job and the scale of the subject. I did umpteen drawings of smallish newts and received a phone call with him yelling 'Bigger and Bolder!! and I mean bloody big and bloody Bold' so I went bigger and bolder.
Whenever I am in doubt I repeat the mantra Bigger and Bolder! to myself. Very sage advice. Wicked newt was around 2m long.

I work mainly to commission and have fund my best work comes about via the process of interpreting somebody else's idea into a three dimensional reality.
Another job for the Newty customer was 'something to hide my ugly water butt in. Something spectacular' after much talk and a few glasses of wine he decided on a giant triffid in stainless steel.
I love these weird jobs, a challenge and a chance to experiment.

Another commission.
A customer wanted a giraffe as a surprise present for his wife, measured 2.5m tall in rusted mild steel.

As well as sculptures I make furniture usually mixing wood and steel, photo shows a table I made for my house.
I have worked out a modular system and can make these in a variety of sizes with chairs in the same style. Prices vary this example measures about 1.6m long and would cost around £850.00. In sets these would work well in bars and pubs etc.

Several years ago I was asked if I was running sculpture making classes. My first thought was 'No' but the gentleman talked me round. This is now an important area of my work and I typically have one every month or so.
These are based around small groups of friends or solo 1:1 work. I never take groups who are not acquainted with each other. Generally the participants have no experience of metal working

There have been some amazing results, and I have learned a lot from my customers.
Prices for classes start at £250 per day for one person and extra participants are another £50 per day. Materials are included. Course covers welding, plasma cutting, bending and shaping the metal.
I am happy with children being involved provided they have an adult with them. I have had children as young as six welding comfortable.

Photo shows Hillary and her gang with the products of their two day course.

As well as working to commission I also make smaller pieces of work which I generally keep as stock items.
My wall climber figures and their chums have been very popular over the years and can be custom made from photographs.
Cost from around £65.00 depending on size, I have made these up to 1.8m tall. These two measure around 30cm.

Here are a few pictures showing how sculpture can be incorporated into a home environment.
These are taken around my own home a Victorian Terraced House in Swansea.

I made a large DNA sculpture as a commission, I was so pleased I had to make one for myself.
Cost of this ? around £2500 at this size.

I needed an uplighter lamp for a spare corner by the chimney breast, I had an insulator from a powerline lying around for several years. Now I have a Nikola Tesla inspired steampunk lamp.

This covers some of the range of my work.
Basically I specialise in working to commission, I have worked for members of the public, large companies and on public commissions. Here are a couple of public commissions. Last year I was asked to make a few palm trees for the fashion company River Island. I ended up making about fifty of them.

A few years ago I was asked to make giant ants for Lord Bath of Longleat Safari Park. I love all that stuff so ended up making eight 5m long ants for display by the miniature railway