What You'll Get

Hands-on Education - Under the expert guidance of Richard Ferguson, you can make or help make your own piece of metal art.  No metalworking experience is required.

Timeless and Unique - These one-of-a-kind pieces make a perfect gift or conversation piece for your home.

Description - A copper rose is an excellent gift - for someone you love or even yourself. This has been one of my most popular pieces.

We will work together to cut out the pieces, anneal the metal, finish the metal, and solder it together.   We will be working with basic hand tools, solder, and a propane torch.  You will mark out the pieces, cut them out with snips, and sand off the sharp edges.  We will use a torch to anneal the pieces, to make them soft enough to easily shape with our hands.  We will sand the copper to a shiny finish, and then tin the pieces with solder before we assemble them.  We will assemble the rose, piece by piece, soldering as we go.  You can finish and shape the rose and leaves to suit your own taste. You can take home a copper rose that you made yourself.   You will learn enough from this class that you could go home and make more copper roses if you wish.

Cost - $75 per person.

This experience will take 1.5 to 2 hours and is designed for one or two people.  All materials and tools provided.  

Description - Using a hammer, you will be able to shape a unique copper heart for your home or to give to a friend or loved one.

We will work together to mark and cut out the shape of the heart, probably around six inches across. We will use a propane torch to anneal the metal, making it easier to work. Then we will hammer the piece to the desired shape. Finally we will use a buffing wheel to bring the heart to a high shine. You can take home a copper heart that you made yourself. You will learn the basics of metal shaping and buffing.

Cost - $75 per person.

This experience will take 1.5 to 2 hours and is designed for one or two people.  All materials and tools provided.  

Description - We will work together to create a copper baseball cap to fit your own head. You can even choose your own logo for the front of the cap. The basic process involves using a propane torch to repeatedly anneal the metal to make it soft, and a lot of hammering. This is a jeweler’s technique called raising, in which we take a flat sheet and make a dome.

This would be a brief introduction to raising, metal shaping, and using an English Wheel.

Cost - $800.

This experience is for one person. The full process involves about 40 hours of work, including TIG welding. Your participation would be 4 to 8 hours. You would need to visit the studio as the cap progresses to check and adjust the fit.

Description - This is one of my most popular pieces, generally purchased as a gift for a technically minded person. It is about 11 inches long.

We would work together to cut out and bend the strip. You would learn the basics of TIG welding on steel, while I would weld the copper;  copper is very challenging to weld. You would also use a hammer to shape the Mobius.

This would be a brief introduction to welding, as well as metal shaping.

Cost - $300 or $350 with a marble base.

This experience is for one person. The full process involves about 12 hours of work, including a lot of sanding and some hammering. Your participation would be 2 to 4 hours.

Description - The sky is the limit here. The project could be decorative, functional, or both. Metal allows creating shapes that would be difficult or impossible to make in other materials. This could be a small indoor piece, or a larger piece that could be placed outside. Some of the metals that could be used are copper, bronze, steel, stainless steel, or aluminum.

A custom project starts with a meeting, where we sit down with an image, or an idea, and then work out the details. The next step is building a small model for review and approval, and then we proceed with the final project. I generally email project updates and photos weekly, so you know what is going on and can provide your input as we go forward. 

Cost - TBD.

Your participation will vary based on the specifics of the project and your interest and skill level.

My work includes both representational and non-representational sculptures.    Curved shapes, clean lines, and abstract designs are common themes.  Many of the sculptures are based on geometric shapes.  Most of my work is in copper, but I also work in aluminum, steel and stainless steel.  

Much of my work uses techniques and tools from multiple metalworking disciplines, including jewelry, blacksmithing,  and automobile sheet metal work.  I make many of my own tools.  The combination of various disciplines and tools is a challenge, a source of great satisfaction, and an opportunity to produce unique work.

My design process begins with an idea or a concept, is developed into a series of sketches, and often includes a three dimensional model out of paper or metal.  When I am satisfied with the design, I go out to my studio and get to work.

Using a technique called "Direct Metal Sculpture," I start with sheet metal or bars, and begin bending, heating, hammering, cutting, grinding, and welding.  The final finish may be natural, polished, or a patina.