'Flowing Water' Wall Sculpture

The client wanted a wall piece which evoked flowing water.  In initial discussions, words she used were ‘ripple,’ ‘wave,’ and ‘undulate.’   Specifically, she wanted the water to flow from top left to bottom right.   
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To execute the client’s vision, I decided upon three forged shapes, to be produced in multiples.  When combined in a variety of ways with each other, they indicate a directional flow.  

The raw materials for this piece are mild steel square bar, stained glass in a variety of blue hues, and copper wire.  

The stained glass represents reflections on the water’s surface.  Heavy texture on the forged steel, along with copper highlights, adds visual interest.
     
Square bar was shaped on my power hammer using art dies, then forged to finish on the anvil.  Stained glass was custom-slumped into each form in my trusty kiln.  I used #6 copper wiring supplied by my electrician, Jeff Park of Park Electric, to fuse the shapes together. (If you need an electrician, Jeff Park is my recommendation!)  A shout-out goes to William Bastas for providing inspiration to fuse with copper.   

For ease of transport and installation, the sculpture is comprised of six clusters.  Each cluster is comprised of the three forged shapes.  A bit of customization can take place when installing the clusters in relation to each other.  

In short, the sculpture has 80 individual steel pieces (and 28 pieces of glass), all fused together with copper and combined in a lovely way!   

Scale and slag were removed with a wire wheel on my angle grinder.  The sculpture was sealed with a clear lacquer.  

Wall attachment is via a tubing-and-nesting technique, making the sculpture appear to ‘float’ off of the wall.   
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Installed, the piece measures approximately 4' high x 4' wide and is raised about 2" off the wall.  
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This is my first commissioned piece to incorporate glass in a non-lighting application.