Recycled machinery horse and rider by the Australian metal sculptor Andrew Whitehead

Amazing work by Andrew Whitehead.

Andrew Whitehead 's sculptures are made from a long list of scrap metal, including stuff  like cogs off a combine,  engine wheels, steering boxes, plough linkage,  tow balls, shearing combs, truck brake-lining, even cement mixers.

Andrew, a plant operator from Urana, in the NSW Riverina, Australia, learned his skills at the age of 40 during an adult apprenticeship as a mechanic with the Urana Council which he took after a 20 year career in the army.

"I learnt skills I never had and they put me in contact with a lot of the scrap around the shire."

His first work was a half-tonne cow made from an old metal tank found lying at home.

"We'd been driving by it for 20-odd years and I said I'm going to do something with that one day.

"I'd just finished it and someone said why don't you enter it into that sculpture competition over at Lockhart."

He entered the Spirit of the Land festival and won.

"So I thought maybe there is something in this for me."

Last year he finished a $25,000 commission, a shearer and two sheep, for the township of Muttaburra in Queensland.

And he's just been commissioned to make a swagman and a dog for Boree Creek, but needs to look further afield for material.

"I've pretty well cleaned up what I can around here, now I have to go to Wagga and buy it from scrap metal yards."

Mr Whitehead had hoped to become a full-time artist but said the art market wasn't strong enough to sustain him.

"That shearer probably took the equivalent of six months full-time work, so $25,000 is not a lot when you take out overheads for the materials and electricity and all that.

"But it's a great hobby, I love it." The Border Mail

Andrew has decorated the entrance to his 100ha farm with quirky metal sculptures of a kangaroo, spider and catapult.

The 250kg kangaroo and her joey, called Roobot, took "four months and 30 slabs of beer to make". Weekly Times Now

Here's a link to a site used by Andrew, he wrote about and posted photographs of work in progress of a sculpture of an Australian Wedgetail Eagle

Andrew has a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/AndrewWhiteheadSculptures

If you liked this you might also like Heather Jansch 's Driftwood Horses

Comments

[Cam]

http://www.facebook.com/AndrewWhiteheadSculptures

[frances walsh]

Hi Andrew,
We are organizing a series of workshops this year. We have Joanne Driver working on Natural habitats using natural wood from the bush. We also have Linda Fish whose is considering using cement as a base for recycled wood etc. Sam Andersen is doing a wire workshop and two of our members are combining to do a vinyl workshop in relief!! i don't know what that means. we are running the workshops during the year. Linda has booked for June, Joanne is august. As you were so supportive last year and mentioned doing a work shop for us I was wondering if you would like to come and do one and choose a month please. We would be grateful if you or your wife or both of you would like to come a do a workshopr for us. We would like to get these set in place as soon as possible as you understand.
Thanks
Frances Walsh

[Horse Sense Admin]

Frances, this is an article about Andrew's work, not his website, you'll need to contact him some other way as I doubt he'll be reading the comments here. Try https://www.facebook.com/AndrewWhiteheadSculptures