National Association of Independent Artists article featuring West Coast Weather Vanes

We recently had a nice article written about West Coast Weather Vanes in the National Association of Independent Artists’ Fall 2009 newsletter. This excellent organization exists to support, publicize and educate artists who make their livings independently, primarily via Arts and Crafts Shows around the country. West Coast Weather Vanes was an active participant in this venue for the first twelve years of our existence. With the development of our website we were gradually able to transition away from art and craft shows to the internet as our primary means of reaching our customers. However, we still hold a warm spot in our hearts for these shows and the many friends we made over the years doing them. If you are a newly emerging artist or craftsperson, or even a practicing artist in need of new horizons, please check out this wonderful organization.Link to entire NAIA article

Godzilla Weathervane

We had a lot of fun working on this Godzilla weathervane project. This weathervane was originally commissioned by a big Godzilla fan. His Godzilla weather vane went a top a cupola on a new barn he was building.

To create the design, we incorporated some of Godzilla’s most well known features. First, Godzillais a daikaijū, a fictional Japanese giant monster. We made our Godzilla with a slightly modified head and lower body of a Tyrannosaurus, a triple row of dorsal plates somewhat reminiscent of a Stegosaurus, the neck and forearms of Iguanodon and a tail and skin texture similar to a crocodile. Godzilla was originally believed by many to be green and is frequent depicted in artwork and film this way. Because copper patinas green over time, our Godzilla weathervane will eventually take on his ideal coloration.

Our customer opted for optional gold leaf to enhance his appearance. In the Godzilla depicted here, we gilded parts of his atomic flames, teeth, belly, parts of his dorsal plates, claws and toes as well as sections of the arrow tip.

Because we make each weathervane sculpture piece to individual order, our customers can order an all copper Godzilla or pick and choose which parts of the weathervane they would like leafed with gold and/or palladium leaf.