The Great Yorkshire Peacock,
Katie Ventress Artist Blacksmith & Janet Fraser Stained Glass
When creating this life sized, show-stopping Peacock sculpture, we wanted it to have the ability to be placed ether indoors or outdoors. The piece was to be exhibited and sold at The Great Yorkshire Show, and we wanted to not be limited with our customer base by making a piece that could only be placed indoors. For this reason we decided to have the sculpture galvanised.
I used a mild acid to dull the finish of the galvanizing slightly, but the natural colour of the galvanizing worked well on many parts of the peacock. In order to create a more striking form we decided to paint the body, which has been sprayed in metallic automotive paints, with the galvanising creating the perfect protective base to do so. Copper wings, slightly spaced off the galvanising with no direct contact, added additional contrast.
This project was a first for both artists, and has the unique combination of galvanised steel with stained glass! The stained glass has been used in a one of a kind, inventive way, using hundreds of individual pieces, allowing them to be placed onto the sculpture after galvanising, in order to create a gently curving, chandelier like tail. We wanted every aspect of this piece to be eye catching, from the bright painted finish and the glowing glass feather “eyes”, right down to the glint of the galvanised steel as he shakes his tail feathers! The peacock was sold, and snapped up at the show very quickly!
Photographs © Katie Ventress