John Norris Metal Sculpture

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Latest News

Upcoming TV appearance

Excited to say I will soon be appearing on BBC Televisions award winning arts and crafts program, 'Make It At Market'.

Tune in to catch me on episode 1 of the new series, 3rd March 2025, airing at 3.45 pm BBC 1.

About Me

I am a self-taught metal artist from the south of England. I really enjoy working with my hands, creating recognisable forms out of unlikely things!

I get a kick out of giving new life and purpose to broken, discarded and reclaimed materials.

I'm also a lover of birds, the great outdoors, and all things mechanical both ancient and modern. Cars, motorbikes, engines, industrial archaeology, technical and engineering innovation. Love it!

F.A.Q

How did you get started?

It was very random. I always liked fixing and making things, working with my hands ... cars, motorbikes, DIY ... 'fairly handy with a spanner' ... kind of thing. Finally I bought a welder a few years back with the idea of fixing something particular.

I had no idea where to source metal I could practise on but, by chance, I found half a bucket of cutlery at a car boot sale the very next weekend. It looked like a likely candidate and I set off home to scour YouTube.

'Welding for dummies' duly watched I proceeded to the workshop and began what would be an utterly appalling display of cutlery annihiliation! Never in the field of kitchenware manipulation were so many sacrificed ... for such little return!

However ... a few hours in (incredibly), and with the loss of many fallen stainless steel heroes, I did manage to produce this ...

I'd reached in to the bucket and pulled out a ham fisted bunch of spoons which, just by complete chance, fell in to a shape that caught my eye. A 'face in the cloud' moment.

The beak, head ... back of a bird ... was it? It looked a bit like a Kingfisher. I 'tack welded' them together and messed around with it for an hour or few more. Add a bolt, a couple of nuts ...

An utterly appalling piece of workmanship! ... from an absolute first time out of the box novice! But ... a really important seed got planted.

(My sister / brother in law are the current guardians of this ... despite my relentless threats of total and utter angle grinder fuelled dismemberment ... it lives on!

I jest really ... it's the thing that started all of this!)

What type of Welder do you use?

Q) MIG or TIG?!? .... A) Both!

I started with a gas MIG welder and still do the lions share of the construction processes with one, albeit a significantly improved model. It's capable of working with both the stainless steel that cutlery is generally made of and mild steel. Excellent for fast structural welds and just quickly adding material bulk that can be sculpted, refined and shaped in blending different pieces together.

I have since invested time in a TIG welder. Useful skills to learn and a lovely bit of kit. Capable of much more finesse than MIG as well as adding the ability to braze brass and copper. I've been using that to add new materials, colours and variety. New possiblities!

Are there really 100 spoons in the 'Predator'?

Almost! I think it's 94 ... it was one of the first things I made, just a four or five weeks after that first rough bird. It really came out of nowhere and I surprised myself with it. It was a monumental leap forward! It doesn't look like 94 but they are all hidden in there somewhere. Some fell in to place very quickly, but occasionally a single spoon would frustrate me for hours and require all manner of thinking and tinkering. (They often still do!)

It changed everything. Out of nowhere I felt like I'd made a piece of art or at least something a bit different, something kinda 'cool'.

Where do you get the cutlery from?

It's a never ending battle sourcing it, I go through alot of cutlery! Car boots sales and charity shops of course and then online there's ebay, Facebook Marketplace, and Google! Always reaching out trying to make connections.

I've learned plenty about cutlery in the last few years, this does not make for a rivoting party conversation! But, strangely interesting  to me and certainly helps me narrow down what I'm looking for.

Much of the intricate detailing comes from finds at my local scrap yard. It's always fun exploring the huge seas of assorted metals and machinery.

Where are you based?

I proudly live and work in the great county of Sussex, not far from the beautiful South Downs, Brighton and its awesome pier(s) and Starling murmurations

Letting My Customers Speak For Me

Everything about it was brilliant - Steven Bower

Lovely, beautiful, unique, special pieces. They are personalised and nothing is to much trouble for John. He sends you videos while the piece is being made with really good suggestions.

I had two beautiful wrens made and mounted on a fantastic heart-shaped base for a wedding present. The recipient was delighted with the gift - Lynne Campbell

Bought as a gift for hubby and certain he’ll love it. Arrived on time and well packaged. Lovely weight to it. Feels silky and looks very shiny. Excellent item - Chris