home>info
Information
About the Company (Found Art Sculpture)
About the Artist (Hardy Jones)
Annual Sculpture Care Instructions
Hardy Jones sculptures are whimsical and alive. Welded from scrap metal, old tools, and found objects, each sculpture is as unique as its parts: a 1952 Buick steering linkage, old farm equipment, truck and railroad yard fittings. With their metal parts rearranged and welded together, creations come to life--reborn as dancers, animals, or warriors, inspired by the exciting discovery of some new found art treasure. (see sample)
Most sculptures are one-of-a-kind, although themes run through Jones's work: dancers, angels, shamans, fish, horses, and occasionally giraffes, dragons, cats and dogs. Sizes range from a one-foot baby alligator to monumental. Jones, retired from his career in orthopedic surgery, now joyfully devotes his energy to art and sculpture. His passion for found art spans 25 years, and sculptures number over 200 in private collections in California, throughout the United States, as well as in Canada and Mexico. His works are recognized in public locations--including city parks, restaurants, and a variety of businesses--throughout Santa Clara County.
Hardy Jones has been scuplting for over 25 years. If you would like to learn more about him, please refer to his resume. Or, to see photographs of the artist, click the artist.
Jones's powerful and imaginative sculptures are at their best in a garden or patio setting. His work can be seen at:
Los Altos Nursery garden gallery in Los Altos, CA
Cambria Gallery...in Cambria, CA
Private Studio in Los Altos, CA (by appointment only--please call (650)941-9785 to make an appointment)
Public locations in Santa Clara County, CA
Annual Sculpture Care Instructions
Recommended Yearly Sculpture Care
Oxidation (rusting) of steel and iron is progressive and may be a concern, especially if your sculpture is outdoors and exposed to moisture. To protect your sculpture from the elements, annual care is recommended:
1) Inspect the surface of your sculpture for rusting. Any heavy rust scaling should be removed with a wire brush.
2) The undersurface of the sculpture base should be sprayed with an outdoor metal paint such as Rustoleum. I like "Rustoleum for Heavily Rusted Metal."
3) Protect the surface of your sculpture with a clear coat of any satin urethane spray. I like "Satin Urethane Wood Finish."
Please read the discussion below for more information on sculpture care.
Care & Maintenance of Your Hardy Jones Welded Steel Sculpture
Rust, The Elements, & Recommendations
Dear friends,
I thought I was going to get out of here without having to worry about the issue of rust, but...this year (2002), I witnessed my first "rust through" failure on the base of one of my oldest welded steel garden sculptures. This particular piece, exposed to the elements for the past two decades, is in my garden, and its base (in this case, an automotive break drum approximately 3/16" thick) is of a thin plate metal. While the sculpture itself is fine, I have recently had to redo the base. However, I want to alert my friends and clients owning any of my pieces that you may wish to consider protecting your sculpture for the long term. In fact, I am now spraying pieces that leave the studio with a coat of satin urethane and undercoating the bases with Rustoleum. I actually am pleased with the appearance using these products.
In most cases, I doubt rust will ever cause a problem, even if left untreated. Nevertheless, all steel will rust and, depending upon its thickness and exposure, may require protection. There is no difference between the steel of the Golden Gate Bridge, railroad hardware, and the found metal treasures I use in my creations. In fact, they may be one and the same! However, the care and maintenance of each is particular to its thickness and circumstance. The Golden Gate Bridge is constantly exposed to the moist salty air and rainy weather of the San Francisco headlands; for protection, the bridge is painted yearly. Yet, in contrast, a railroad rail is never protected, and may last 150 years or more.
You may wish to check your piece. Where there is a concern, I now recommend a yearly spraying with a non-glossy (satin) urethane coat to protect your sculpture, especially if it is outdoors, exposed to moisture or ocean air, or has thinner metal. A little rust is to be expected with time, and I rather like the hue of rust. However, if you have rusting and scaling, it may be best to spray your sculpture with urethane after first wire brushing to remove any heavy rust scale, if any. Also, if the sculpture is mounted on a thin metal base (such as a plow disc or break drum), you may wish to coat the base with Rustoleum. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to call me at (650)941-9785. Also, if you would like me to take a look, or would like to first see the effects of urethane on metal sculpture, you may also visit me in the studio.
Best regards,
Hardy
My son, Bryan Jones, designed this website several years ago. He also started his own company, SportSpectator, that provides an integrated sports education and fundraising product for teams. If you are interested in team fundraising, visit the following pages for each sports: baseball fundraising, basketball fundraising, field hockey fundraising, football fundraising, golf fundraising, men's lacrosse fundraising, women's lacrosse fundraising, soccer fundraising, softball fundraising, swimming fundraising, tennis fundraising, track and field fundraising, volleyball fundraising, water polo fundraising, or wrestling fundraising. Also, if you are interested in baseball rules, basketball rules, field hockey rules, football rules, golf rules, lacrosse rules, soccer rules, softball rules, swimming rules, tennis rules, track rules, volleyball rules, water polo rules, or wrestling rules, click on the links to be taken to the guides for each sport.
Home · View Artwork · Resume · Work in Public · In the News · Info