Magpie Sculpture

Forged and fabricated mild steel with galvanised finish.

Featuring stained glass feathers.

1.5 Meters Tall by 1.5 Meters Wide

-Suitable for exterior and interior installation-

AS SEEN - In The Times & Sunday Times - June 2025

Created to take part in Newby Halls largest to date, temporary sculpture trail.

To be featured in the next season of - “Our Great Yorkshire Life” on CHANNEL 5

A unique collaboration with Stained Glass Artist, Janet Fraser.

I have had the idea of a Magpie in the back of my mind for some time now and thought it would be the perfect animal to recreate in steel, using Janet’s glass to give it that classic Magpie colouring.

We created “The Great Yorkshire Peacock” for The Great Yorkshire Show in 2021, so we were confident that we could collaborate again to make another unique and ambitious piece!

For this sculpture I wanted to create a form that was instantly striking from a distance, with the bird showing off its full wings and that classic diamond shaped tail.

Up close you begin to see the detail, from its chunky beak, hair like feathers around its nasal cavity, the dotted skin of the eye-ring, to the strong legs and large claws.

Monochrome at first glance, a flash of black and white, followed by a shimmer of colour from the stunning stained glass.

Deep royal blues, teal greens and tail tips of oily pinks, purple and a little bronzy- gold.

The glass plays with the light available, ether glowing from a backdrop of bright sunshine or changing in pearlescent hues as you move around it.

Even in shade the richness of the glass creates a glossy, black mirror over the curves of its outline.

As well as textured steel feathers, these glass inclusions also have delicate, painted feathery detail up close, adding an extra element of realism and interest.

Landing on a crooked tree branch, this piece is not too large, but nicely sized as to not get lost in its environment.

As well as having a base for bolting down onto a hard standing, it also has an additional base that allows it be installed on grass.

A base plate allows for fixing onto hard standing/concrete base.

Or additional foot, plinth to be buried and concreted underground for soft standing/grass.

This piece has been a creative challenge, but when creating something new, risks need to be taken and boundaries pushed in order to create something truly unique.

Many people have mixed emotions when it comes to Magpies, love, hate or superstition.

I see them as beautiful, intelligent and underrated, with fascinating folklore and traditions around them.

However you see them, maybe this piece will invoke those feelings you hold towards them, or something completely new…

This is piece is called  "Iridescent Omen"

Black and white, dark, ominous, seemingly unchangeable.

But without choice, and possibly without realisation, colour is always present in the deepest darkness, if only we view it from another angle.

An omen that’s far from sorrowful.

Please feel free to contact me for additional information, installation advice and/or delivery information.