Small Fountain Metal Sculpture Ideas

Mr. Golden Sun

• If your style is folksy or eclectic, a small brass- or copper-sun fountain will fit in in your yard. Cut out sleepy eyes, weld on a prominent nose -- or attach parts using epoxy designed for such metals -- and use the mouth’s hole as the opening from which to spill water into a terra cotta pot or old metal bucket base. For fun, try assembling old metal engine and plumbing parts, and bicycle spokes to create a sun-inspired design. If you want, hang the "sun" from a tree branch, and circulate or pump the water through clear plastic tubing that runs up the trunk, along the branch, down the hanger and out of the mouth through the stream. Instead of a sun sculpture, a moon or star provides the same folk-art vibe.

The Shapes of Simplicity

• When minimalist style and modern or abstract art are your things, the simpler the metal sculpture, the better. You may enjoy a boxy design or a basic arc resembling a faucet. A music-note sculpture or upright wave design would also suit a contemporary setting. Or you could use copper or steel pipes to create a small, cascading water feature. Form your fountain from brushed or polished metal, but polished metal provides more shimmery sparkle. Form a square or spherical pedestal to showcase a smaller fountain. A sink-like base could catch the water for a lawn fountain, or you could hide a plastic base in the ground under gravel for a clean, streamlined look.

Wildlife, Wild Look

• The outdoor space with plenty of evergreens, ornamental grasses and chunky, rustic wooden benches and tables is the place for a wildlife water feature. But the water does not have to spill from a traditional bear, moose, eagle or wolf’s mouth. For example, a metal hawk, falcon or raven might perch on a metal branch with water spilling from the branch tip into one nest on a branch below and then another.

Babbling Family-Life Statuette

• If your yard is a jungle of toys, swings, a kiddy pool and sandbox, you don't have to change the vibe. Stay with the family-first look by creating a family fountain. Sculpt a replica of each member of the family, standing next to each other, from tallest to shortest, with their arms at their sides and their palms cupped upward. Design the fountain so the water flows from palm to palm -- and even from paw to paw, if you include your pets.