When you visit Croix des Bouquets, the area of town known for Haitian metal art in the capital of Port-Au-Prince, you are met with a cacophony of tink, tink, tink as ball peen hammers strike sheets of steel. The sheets are cut from steel drums colored by oil and other liquids the drums at one time held. The process of turning sheets of metal into beautiful wall art is all done by hand, from cutting holes that become edges of trees and leaves, to accenting each lizard with a texture of scales, to painting or lacquering the final design. The artists are proud of their work, with many of them signing the pieces on the back side, leaving a raised, reversed signature on the front. Display Instructions: Your handmade artwork may or may not come with a hang tab on the back. If no hanger is there, it is because your sculpture doesn't need one. Hanging your sculpture is still simple as the cutouts in the artwork provide many natural places from which to position nails. You can hang your piece from the top or the middle, whichever makes more sense for your wall space. Usually, two nails are sufficient for 24" rounds or smaller, and you'll want both nails to have small heads on them. If the nails are shiny, you might want to darken the heads with a black Sharpie marker to help the nails visually disappear. Do not place the nails where you do not want to draw attention, such as a face or the main focal point of the sculpture.
Made by Fair Trade Artisans in Haiti; hand-painted design, color may vary and may appear brighter than image; due to the handmade nature of each piece, the size may vary by up to 2 inches.
Suitable for indoor or outdoor use; To hang metal art simply use pin head nails in the many nooks and spaces available in the design.
Made of recycled steel, this sculpture will rust over time if it is exposed to the elements. If you do not prefer the look of a weathered patina, you can maintain the original look by applying a spray-on clear enamel once a year.
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