I took this sculpture to my first attempt at selling at an craft/art fair Saturday as an attention getter and it worked like a charm.  I set it out front and people were drawn to it, probably out of curiosity.  I sold most of what I had with me (never had that happen before!) and it was a lot of fun.    Scott.

Oh MAN is that an attention getter! Holy Moly Scott, that put a big smile on my face almost instantly. What's it's name?

Frosty The Lucky.

Yep, that's an attention grabber for sure. He's got a great shape. Those talons are savage; he's certainly got a good grip on Nebraska.

 I've just done two long days of demos at our open weekend and took along the giant mantis (from previous post) which had the same effect as your bird. I would like a dollar for every photo it got!

Good to hear your sales went well, Scott. Mine too. Trouble is, you have to work harder now to replenish stocks!

i love it. nice job.

Nice work Scott. I really like the flow of feathers down his back. Like Aus said about the talons. The scythe blade makes for a wicked beak and the piece of rake works nice for the head feathers. 

Glad you did good with the sales! 

Thanks for comments!

  Frosty, !   I have not got a name for it, somebody called it Toucan Sam yesterday but thats no good.  Beakodactol?

 

Aus, thats the first time I've had people take pics with something I made.  I've taken a picture of those talons and will post it below.

 

Thanks Tubal, positive comments motivate me to get into the shop and make something.

 

Das, I found another sickle blade at a junkshop a while ago, so I'm going to start another one with its wings spead out.  I need to find another big nut for a head though.  Still have a bit of that rake left somewhere.

 

I've been going about selling my things wrong.  Not enough small items, and the wrong events.    I've also been poring through the "business side" forum.  Scott.

 

 

Those are some big talons! 

Name it Bill. Lol

Looks like a southern ground hornbill. (found it googling scything beaked birds) 

The fun thing is that you can make up anything you want about it because you created it. Give it name and a background story, what it is, what it eats, where/ how it lives.   If you want to. People like a good story.  

I have been hoarding a few scythe blades waiting for more to pop up for a couple ideas. 

Man! Googling birds I found a shoebill stork that is now on the list of ideas lol. Finally a use for either a shoe last or form. 

Nice, if you need cheap stock come my way sometime and we have a couple great scrap yards that still let you dig.  Everything goes out at $.20 a pound.

4 hours ago, Daswulf said:

Give it name and a background story, what it is, what it eats, where/ how it lives.   If you want to. People like a good story.  

  Hum, "The Life and Times of Bill The Bloodthirsty Bird".  Most of what creative skill I have is working with my hands.  I'm not much of a story teller but I might like to give it a shot.  After work tonight I'll have a few bee....refreshments and give it some thought.  Speaking of shoes, I'm trying to fabricate some boots for a scarecrow I'm working on.  My corn will be picked clean at the rate I go.

 

  Matto, that sounds like a nice little road trip, your not far from me.  The yards here are getting leery of letting people in and one just closed up.  I still have the work dumpster though.  Scott.

19 hours ago, ausfire said:

 Trouble is, you have to work harder now to replenish stocks!

Sorry about double posting but I couldnt edit for some reason. Ausfire, I welcome that kind of trouble.

If it weren't such a drive I'd be all up on that invite. Scott, I'm not the best at stories often. sure, after some beerfreshments. lol. 

Hmm. I have a scarecrow in the works too. no boots tho. he is about 14 or more feet tall. started with a paper mache head but that fell apart and now I made hil a head out of a helium tank and need to make him a hat. his ribs and hands were sticks but I'm going to make new ones out of rebar.Look forward to seeing yours. I'll show mine if/ when I'm done. Oh yeah and a red led tail lamp in the head to shine and make the eyes and mouth glow. runs off a 12v transformer. Need one? I can mail ya one if needed. you gatta wire it up tho.

 

A closer study of your bird - I reckon he's a cross between a wedgetail  eagle and a sulphur-crested cockatoo. The talons are definitely parrot like and the curved beak too. Feathers are more bird of prey. Nice combination.

You would have a great time digging in my scrap pile - lots of scythe blades there. A long way to come for a few bird beaks though!  I use old miners' picks a lot for birds.

And Das, that is one monster scarecrow you're planning. I need an idea like that to use up some of the bigger scrap. A dinosaur maybe.

 

5 hours ago, ausfire said:

I need an idea like that to use up some of the bigger scrap. A dinosaur maybe.

And I need bigger scrap to use up my ideas. 

 

Das, I admire those who can spin a good yarn...  I'm not one of them.  My stories are either too lame or so far out there I dont think I want too hit the "submit reply button" .  

Lets just say Bill was hatched out in my shop in a burst of fire and sparks.  His nest is made of barbed wire in a huge oak tree overlooking the farm (who needs ADT security?).  What he eats is a mystery to me but local farmers report a lot of missing livestock and the railroad cant explain the roofs torn off of their grain cars.  I have my suspisions....  He probably spends his time swooping through the countryside, fields and forests on moon-lit nights looking for someone or something to terrorize.  But he really has a sweet disposition once you get to know him, as long as he is not hungry!  And he loves being scratched behind the ears...

  I may take you up on the LED offer.  Cool idea.  Imagine hooking that up to a simple capacitor circuit to make them glow on and off.  Hahaha..

 

Ausfire, you are safe.  I am too far away from your scrap pile.  But I would bet you would have to run me off with a shotgun if I ever got into it.  You might not have anything left...  There are not many miners picks in these parts, I can see metal sculpture possibilities for those galore.

16 hours ago, Daswulf said:

 

And I need bigger scrap to use up my ideas. 

 

And I need more time to use up my scrap heap! 

Wow Scott, that's a pretty good yarn for not being able to spin.   

Funny you mention security, my vulture is sitting on my porch doing that as well haha. 

A little story can help you sell an item if they are interested enough to ask about it. You have to read the person tho. Some people are all business and some love a good story. I'm not the best with stories and I'm usually the person to come up with a great response After its too late.  sometimes I'm on tho. 

On the led flasher,  they make one For use with LEDs so make sure you get the right one. That is a good idea that I hadn't thought of. 

 

15 hours ago, Daswulf said:

Wow Scott, that's a pretty good yarn for not being able to spin.

 

Thanks, Das, but you know what they say about a blind squirrel.

  Selling to different personalities, another thing to consider trying to sell my creations.   Just like the farm market, some want to know about what they are buying and some just want something to throw in a frying pan or salad bowl.  I  think all your ideas and suggestions will help my sales grow, so thank you.

 

15 hours ago, Daswulf said:

I'm usually the person to come up with a great response After its too late.  

Me too...

so common there is a term for it: "L'esprit de l'escalier".

 

 Treppenwitz!

not to be confused with Clausewitz...

No confusion there, but I have read and it is widely rumored, Clausewitz may have suffered from Witzelsucht.  But then dont we all....

It would explain so very much!  And some of us have the TBI for it!

Some of us are born with it, others aqquire it.  I know personally some that may have picked it up in the SOF,  or other PTSD, so it's all good and in fun Thomas!  

I wonder if I'm the only one who has absolutely NO IDEA what these last five posts are all about!

no, your not.

Aus, I had to google them. So you are not alone. But I figured it out.