Artistic displays enhance outdoor space

With triple-digit temperatures behind us, it’s easier to enjoy those backyard gatherings. The fall is also a great time to add new colorful touches to enhance your backyard. Some homeowners look beyond landscaping and integrate art into the space. Here, a few creative minds share what types of artistic pieces their customers seek out for their backyards today.

Popularity of metal art

Homeowners looking to add something different and unique to their backyard often turn to metal replications and unique versions of plants, people and animals, says Esme Duarte, a manager with Artistic Iron Works. Customers are often surprised to learn of the many colors found in metal and iron sculptures and backyard pieces.

The company carries multicolored metal flowers and plants. Some pieces are created with wildlife in the scene. You can find cactuses with blooms and metal hummingbirds with their beaks in the blooms and metal ladybugs crawling up flower stems; there are a variety of options for bases, ways to stake pieces into the ground or to house them in pots.

The company also sells large and small human and animal figures like bull riders, elephants, turtles and other animals and characters. Metal yucca trees and cactuses are the most popular requests, Duarte said.

“There are a lot of bright, vibrant colors to choose from. They come in purple, blue, red, pink, yellow. … We also do have some rustic agaves. … It comes down to personal preference,” she said.

Some homeowners want to incorporate art that looks like foliage, or sometimes the real thing, into their outdoor space. Karin Bell, general manager at Cactus Joe’s Blue Diamond Nursery, houses collections of plants and garden art from around the world.

“Every yard has a sort of theme … (and) clients like the metal animals, especially the donkeys,” Bell said. “Also, the metal cactus flowers are great for busy people. … They provide color and texture without the maintenance and responsibility.”

With live plants, she says the heat is often a challenge for homeowners. They frequently come to her with stories about plants labeled as “full sun” but that can’t really withstand the desert heat.

“We have cactus that is native to Nevada and perfect for our climate,” she said, adding that fake plant options are growing in popularity. “We also have 8 acres of metal/concrete plants/animals and cholla wood/saguaro skeletons for those clients who want not just drought tolerant but zero maintenance.”

Personalized pieces

Some homeowners want something customized to their needs. Michael Beals, founder of Ring A Sculpture, whose art pieces are found in about 60 galleries nationwide, is a renaissance artist who specializes in custom pieces for the home and yard. Beals has seen a consistent trend toward homeowners wanting something that is not machine-made and that aligns with interior art in their home.

“People are now wanting to transition their interior decor, outside,” he said. “So, if you look at someone who is typically 40 years old or older, they tend to have nice art in their home. What they want is a continuance of that nice art … but something that can stand up to snow, salt, harsh sun and other elements.”

Many of Beals’ customers have newly built homes and consult him on how to dress up the backyard space and other areas of the home. He has crafted pieces for as little as $500 to designs that cost as much as $25,000. The artist doesn’t just focus on colors and materials. Gongs or bells set to certain frequencies of musical notes are incorporated into some pieces, and glass plays a big role in his designs.

“I incorporate glass into every art piece. You can match that colored glass with the interior decor to give a visual effect,” he added.

Designs can range from trees, birds or just shapes that align with the customer’s vision. All pieces are translucent to create a “fracking” experience that embraces the sun’s movement throughout the day. With it, light, color and glass work together to give the piece different dimensions at any given time.

“I’ll also often recommend you backlight the glass. So, if on an evening you’re sitting in the living room and it’s completely dark outside, all of a sudden, a photocell comes on … to create a living piece of art a night,” he said. “Those reflections, along with day patterns, add to how you’re able to enjoy the piece.”

When working with the metal, Beals uses a drip welding process, which can’t be done by machine. For durability, he bakes a resin into the metal to preserve it. Every piece he crafts is unique.

“I make one of one. I don’t produce the same things over and over,” he said. “I try to take all elements, stone, glass, metal, many times I will use wood … I take all the natural elements available to us every day to create a piece.”

Deciding what’s right for you

If you’re looking to spice up your backyard space with some artistic touches, there are plenty of options to research online, but it can all feel a little overwhelming. These pros say it’s a good idea to take photos of your backyard and share them with the vendors you work with. Don’t just take photos of the areas you’re considering for an art piece but other spaces, too.

“Everything we make comes in so many different sizes, from 1 foot to 6 feet high,” Duarte said, explaining that getting the correctly sized art piece is one of the key factors her team considers when helping customers.

Beal will field calls from clients who tell him about their vision for a piece. He asks for photos of the space and interviews the customer. He sketches out a rendering before making a piece. If possible, he will visit a home in person.

“Once I get there, I may see a modern or contemporary design, but there are several things to consider. … Colors need to be done in a way that complements their surroundings … but ultimately, you’re really trying to answer the question, ‘What do you want the piece to accomplish?’ ”