The artists name is Melissa Menzer, and you better watch out because she's going to become very popular, very soon. When I walked up to her table, I spotted a steampunk sculpture that I just knew had to be mine. I immediately took him home for a little photoshoot and haven't stopped staring at him yet.
Meet Eugene, train conductor of the birdie railways.
He is a hand sculpted and hand painted bird, perched on an old model railroad light, and is affixed with trinkets galore. His wings are made of vintage silverware and he's covered with buttons, clock-workings, and a salt shaker hat sits atop his regal head.
Melissa had other sculpture work featuring robots, bee creatures, and metalwork-men, but she has just branched out into bird sculptures and only had a few to sell. I believe she mentioned that the bird I purchased was the very first one she completed, and I am tinkled pink to be it's new owner.
My mother was also at the festival with me and fell in love with her own little treasure by Ms. Menzer. She has yet to name this gorgeous bird, but it is sitting in the spotlight for us to admire even as I type.
This amazing piece is bejeweled with dozens of sparkling (and even some dangling) rhinestones, old keys, emerald eyes, spoon backs for wings, silverware handles for tail feathers, matching vintage lizard pins, clock faces, pearls, and even pen nibs!
If you would like to view Melissa Menzer's work in person, you can check it out in Sanford, FL at 211 East First Street at the Jeanine Taylor Folk Art gallery.
I will definitely be keeping track of this artists work and hope to add to my collection of bird sculptures in the future. We currently have four pieces by artist Jim Mullan that our new Menzer pieces should get along with very nicely :)
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