My metalworking was inspired by a banded metal heron that my sister had purchased at an art fair in Virginia.  After seeing that first sculpture,
my instincts as a designer/fabricator/welder along with an "I can do That" attitude took over.  After reproducing this work-- (thank you unknown artist)  which still resides in our gardens, I developed my own more realistic style, the body proportions, the bend of the neck,the defined muscles, the position of the legs are critical to "catching the attitude"
My first customer that purchased one of the herons  (Thanks Mike)commissioned me to do a wall hanging of a grizzly bear. It needed to be of specific size to fit in his family room.  This led me down a new path of wall hangings that include pets, custom cars, motorcycles, along with some abstract pieces.
Materials include metal banding, copper and steel wire.

  
additional images at  www.flickr.com/photos/jeffkolar