Hand-Forged Metal Sculpture Inspired by the West Coast

I’m Katie Ford, an award-winning metal sculptor based on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. Working in carbon steel, bronze, and copper, I create hand-forged sculptures inspired by the marine life and wild landscapes of Canada’s West Coast. From jellyfish and salmon to bull kelp and spot prawns, my work captures the beauty and resilience of Pacific coast ecosystems.

My sculptures are available in my online store, and at galleries on Salt Spring Island and Gabriola Island. Serving collectors across the Gulf Islands, Vancouver Island, Canada, the United States, and beyond.

Find my available work at Gallery 8 on Salt Spring Island, Wilson & Co. Galleryin Ladysmith, Nova Gallery on Gabriola Island.

Portfolio

  • Large metal sculpture of a hermit crab living in an oil drum.

    "Crude Accommodations" - Castlegar Sculpture Walk award winner : 1st in Artistic Merit, 2nd in Peoples Choice. Carbon steel and bronze.

  • A metal sculpture of a squid with a wine bottle in its tentacles.

    "Inky Aftertaste II" - Squid Wine Bottle Holder. carbon steel, bronze.

  • A decorative sculpture of a mounted deer skull with antlers, made of black metal, on a circular base.

    "Roots of Reclaimation" - carbon steel (repurposed shovels and pitchforks), real deer antlers.

  • Forged and welded sculpture of a jellyfish on a square base

    "Mindless Resilience" - carbon steel, bronze.

  • Forged and welded steel sculpture of a jellyfish on a round base.

    "Rising" - carbon steel, repurposed propane tank and oil drum.

  • Metal fish wall sculpture

    "Chinook" - carbon steel, copper.

  • A fish sculpture made of metal and mesh lying on black gravel with fallen autumn leaves around it.

    "Sockeye" - carbon steel, bronze.

  • Bronze sculpture of a human heart with detailed anatomical features, mounted on a stand against a black background.

    "Heart Vessel" - Cast bronze, carbon steel.

  • Close-up of a fossilized shark tooth with a curved shape and rough, textured surface on a black background.

    "Orca Tooth" - cast bronze

  • A glass sculpture of a squid wrapped around a clear glass tube against a black background.

    "Inky Aftertaste I" - inflated carbon steel, glass.

  • A decorative mask resembling a mythical or fantasy creature, with intricate carvings and two hollow eye openings, one with an orange interior.

    "Tentacle Stache" cast bronze, steel, glass.

  • Maple tree seed sculpture

    "Winged Samara" - carbon steel, bronze, copper.

  • Wine bottle holder made of steel in the shape of a spot prawn with seaweed kelp cradling a wine bottle

    "Spot Prawn Wine Bottle Holder" - carbon steel.

  • kelp crab sculpture on its back showing chiselled metalwork details of west coast creature

    "Kelp Crab II" - carbon steel, copper rivets

  • Bull kelp sculpture forged steel and stone

    "Quadra Bull Kelp" carbon steel, bronze, stone. Approx 8ft tall

  • Framed wall art of two bull kelp sculpture made of steel

    Double Bull Kelp Framed" - carbon steel

  • A garden trowel with a handle shaped like a tree branch with metal leaves, standing upright on a dark surface with a plain dark background.

    "Instrument of Plenty" - carbon steel, arbutus, copper

  • Sockeye Salmon made from steel and copper on a natural sandstone base

    "Sacred Cycles" - Sockeye Salmon. Carbon steel, copper, sandstone.

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Person welding inside a room, wearing a bright orange protective helmet and gloves, with sparks and bright light from the welding process.
A person wearing a black beanie and gloves is using an angle grinder, producing sparks, in a workshop with tools and gas cylinders in the background.