Lives Shaped by Steel by Nancy B. Zastrow

B o o k  C o n t e n t

(Content from previous page with outdoor gate)
He has done floral patterns, Art Deco, Art Nouveau, and traditional designs, but his work is mostly traditional, with a French overtone. "That is what people ask for, and what works with the kind of architecture that is found here." Michael's ideas come from what the customer requests, the budget they have to work with, and the time element needed to complete the job. With his artistic training, he has a good eye and imagination, and a strong sense of what will bering elegance to a setting.

Michael works in iron, bronze, aluminum, and often employs brass accents. He find it very satisfying to work in bronze, because it is so responsible to the artist, but the cost is usually prohibitive. His work is mostly for private customers. He does very little commercial work, and most of his projects are for indoor installations (compound curves are one of his specialties), but he does do some outdoor gates and railings. He likes the finish to show the natural material, preferring not to use colored paint. He sands the work by hand to bring out the unique worked surface of the material, uses a black paint base, and applies lacquer. Hand rails need an additional application of wax from time to time.

Recently he increased his staff to two employees. He and one other person had been able to turn out 100 feet of railing a year, but it was time to expand when a new job required over 200 feet in six months. "This is a wonderful career," says Michael. "The work requires a combination of creativity plus all your intellectual capabilities plus intense physical demands. That combination is hard to beat, and practically impossible to find in other fields."