Noll, Mark

Artist Statement

Your metal nature sculpture is made from a sheet of solid copper, brass, or aluminum. The metal is repurposed, originally to be used for roof flashing or street signs. First, I draw the rough shape on the metal and cut it out with aviation snips. Chisels, punches, hammers, and mallets bring the form to life. After polishing the surface with ultrafine steel wool, I etch it with a patina solution or wipe on an antiquing wax. Finally, the piece is sprayed with a clear coat to preserve the colors and finish. I’m self-taught and use a blend of tools from traditional metalworking, autobody work, and wood working. To cushion and deaden the hammer blows, my workbench is lined with a thick piece of rubber stable matting and the tool handles are wrapped with soft foam.

After polishing the surface with ultrafine steel wool, I etch it with a patina solution or wipe on an antiquing wax. Finally, the piece is sprayed with a clear coat to preserve the colors and finish.

I’m self-taught and use a blend of tools from traditional metalworking, autobody work, and wood working. To cushion and deaden the hammer blows, my workbench is lined with a thick piece of rubber stable matting and the tool and tool handles are wrapped with soft foam.

About Mark Noll
Mark Noll from Nature Art Studios grew up on Buzzards Bay in Massachusetts. As a boy, catching the migrating striped bass and bluefish was often an elusive goal. He began creating marine animal sculptures that made their way to the New England and Baltimore Aquariums’ gift shops.

After college, he and his bride Wendy made the journey to Oregon and he put his art on hold to pursue a professional career and raise a family. The need to make art persisted and he has recently found a home creating nature sculptures using repurposed metals.

I’ve only been creating this metal art for a little over a year and love to experiment with different designs, tools, and patina finishes. In that short time, the fish, dragonfly, and butterfly pieces have made their way to patrons all over the country and around the world.

Artist Code: NAS Artist Website

Flickr Photostream of Mark Noll’s metal sculpture work:

Copper butterfly

Copper Falcon

Copper Bald eagle

Great horned owl I 1

Copper Chinook Salmon group

Copper rainbow trout

Large copper Chinook salmon

copper Red-tailed hawk

copper Aplomado falcon

copper Buff rooster

copper Bufflehead duck I-III group

copper Bufflehead duck II

aluminum orca-Pacific Northwest Coast design

aluminum large salmon-Pacific Northwest Coast design

aluminum falcon-Pacific Northwest Coast design

copper Acoustic guitar-Martin 12-strings

copper Canada goose

Copper Canada goose

Copper red-eyed tree frog

Copper dragonfly group