Weather vane creation a cause close to the heart of Black Country sculptor
It is all in the detail when it comes to ensuring a weather-vane placed 150 feet high above a church will actually spin with the wind.
That was the puzzle facing metal artist Luke Perry when he was asked to design a weather vane for St Peter's Church in Cradley to replace one that blew down many years ago.
Luke, aged 38, who lives in Stourbridge and has his workshop at Cradley Heath, works under the name of IHS Artwork and has been commissioned to produce many giant sculptures.
His previous work can be seen across the West Midlands, Northern Ireland, Yorkshire and Southampton.
These include the Sikh Soldier at Wednesfield, the Lady Chainmaker Memorial at Cradley Heath, the Lion of the Great War Memorial at Smethwick and the Forward Together Sculptures in Birmingham.
Luke said that his latest creation, which measures 20 feet high by eight feet wide, had taken a month to complete and is made of blacksmith's steel.
However, after facing the design challenges he admitted that he will face further problems when it comes to installing the weather vane on the church which is about 150 feet high.
It is a challenge Luke, a keen rock climber, looks forward to conquering in the spring of next year.
Luke said: "Although the weather vane is one of the smaller things I have made it does include twists that were difficult to make.
"However, my family are buried in the cemetery next to the church as I will be one day so this was a job close to my heart and heritage.
"It seems that the original weather vane blew down sometime in the 20th Century.
"One of the challenges in creating the weather vane was that I wanted to make the cockerel interesting.
"It is a lot more three-dimensional than most weather cocks as most are two-dimensional.
"This is very sculptural and I had to do a lot of work on getting the balance and weight right to ensure it would spin.
"I think that this weather vane is one of the first to feature an anvil, which is a symbol of the heritage of the area and Cradley being the heart of chain-making.
"I had to work that into the arrow which was difficult because of the balance needed and I had to create a shape and space to make it look good.
"This is possibly the first weather vane on any church in the country to feature an anvil and it was a real challenge creating it but an even greater challenge could lie ahead and that will be to get it installed.
"We will have to go up some stairs inside the church and then climb across the bells.
"I think that it is expected to be put in place in the spring of next year."
