'Scrap Vessel I'

My mother turned 80-something on this day.  In celebration of her birthday, she received 80-something roses (one rose representing each year!).  They made quite a bouquet, just as all her years have added up to a rich, full life.     

She also received 'Scrap Vessel I', a piece of art I made especially for her.  (I had to practically pry it from a Galveston gallery owner's hands the day before, but that's another story for another day...and a good one at that!) 

To begin, I pulled a hammered sheet discard from my scrap pile.  I edged the piece with 1/4" round rod to give it depth.  The legs were inspired by bent 1/4" round rod scraps cluttering my welding table.  I LOVE the unique legs on this piece! 

Mother's gift came with the 'touchmark chit' in the middle photo above.  I tried marking the vessel itself, but my touchmark jumped around, so it wasn't very legible.  It's not as easy for me to mark my work as I thought...

Overall, this piece is about 16" long, 4" deep, and about 2.5" tall.  I sealed it with with clear lacquer to preserve the raw steel color.