Not just any old forged copper animals. These copper animals are holiday ambassadors, maybe even little heroes, for animal welfare. Each year for the past five years, I’ve created and donated a limited-edition holiday ornament to Asheville Humane Society for use in a holiday fundraising campaign. The ornaments, which are hand forged from copper and other mixed metals, represent a different animal each year in honor of the many varied creatures that pass through the shelter’s doors in need of help and a new home. Proceeds from the campaign go to Asheville Humane Society’s Lilly Grace Fund, a fund which enables the shelter to provide life-saving medical care to injured or sick dogs and cats who would otherwise face the possibility of euthanasia without proper treatment and rehabilitation. While my campaign is very modest compared to the issues facing animals shelters across the country, the contributions that result from it each year have provided several thousand dollars towards this cause, and I am grateful to the people who respond each year by “adopting” my little ambassadors to help the animals.
My original inspiration for this idea began in 2012 with a photo posted on the Shelter’s Facebook page of an adorable little cat needing a new home. There was something about her face that led me to capture her in copper and, subsequently launched this whole project. She did, in fact, find a lovely home and I had the great pleasure of meeting her new parents shortly after the ornament was completed, when they showed me a framed wall hanging containing two of my first animal ornaments – my copper portrait of their cat!
I’m just now starting work on this year’s ornament. A copper and bronze chicken. Not an easy challenge. Don’t worry, I’m planning to share every step of that process with you. (OK…maybe just a few steps.) However, before we launch into that project together, I thought I’d first share with you the ornaments from the past five years:
The second year ornament was of a bulldog. One of my favorites…
The third year, I decided to honor one of the many other species that come to the shelter… bunnies…
And then I went back to cats because there was this steam punk cat dying to be made…
Last year… well… it was puppies. In a bronze bag. Waiting to go home with someone…
If you are interested in following the progress of this year’s holiday ornament, or are interested in receiving special offers on my artwork, please consider signing up for my email list.
