People
Budding sculptor makes his mark in welding contest
17 November 2020
Fabricator, Patrick Knighton, has won the inaugural Kemppi Australia 2020 Art of Welding Competition with his sculpture, Whale Shark.
Maria Skettos
The regional competition was open to anybody over the age of 18 involved with the ‘art of welding’, and a diverse and quality range of entries were received.
The winning entry, Whale Shark is made from mild steel and is about 40cm long. It sits on a hammered base that helps give the illusion of a shadow. MIG welded, the sculpture was heated to achieve the desired color and the pattern then added to help bring the piece to life.
Winning the competition is particularly valuable for Patrick because he is not a trained artist.
Patrick Knighton with his winning piece of art, Whale Shark.
The 32- year-old focuses on his sculptures whenever he finds the luxury of time in between his fabrication work. According to Patrick, running his Perth-based business in Australia, Deadbeat Fabrication, is demanding and time-consuming. “There is always something to do – rust repairs on cars, fabricating bars, trolleys, furniture, and other structures, as well as paperwork. So, finding the time to immerse myself in metal sculpting is not easy but it’s something I love,” he says.
Patrick first discovered his interest in sculpting about three years ago when his brother-in-law showed him how to shape metal to create a sunflower. “Working with your hands to turn nothing into something is pretty special. It is even more satisfying when people appreciate your work,” he said.
Inspired by Australian fauna
In particular, Patrick enjoys metal sculpting because he has the freedom to create whatever he pleases. His inspiration comes mainly from Australian fauna. He is a huge animal lover and the animals found in the Australian landscape are an abundant source of material for his sculpting.
His winning entry was inspired by a trip to Ningaloo in Western Australia. The Ningaloo Reef is one of the longest near-shore reefs in the world and the world’s largest fringing reef system. It is also where the endangered Whale Shark congregate between March and July to feed.
Asked what he found challenging about sculpting Whale Shark Patrick explains, “It was trying to bring this beautiful, gentle creature to life through my work. This meant that I had to rework the head a number of times, welding and reshaping its form and size until I was happy with the visual result. And that’s the thing about my Kemppi welder, I’m always pushing the machine and it never lets me down.”
Maria Skettos
An Australian-based Marketing, Social Media and PR specialist and sometime contributor to Kemppi with extensive experience in the B2C and B2B sectors.
More blog posts
Victorious football boot triumphed in a welding contest
The 2018 FIFA World Cup stirred up the whole Russia. Even those who had never been interested in sports watched the magnificent game of the Russian team with a sinking heart. Years from now, the world will still remember how Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, falling down, repelled the opponent's shot with his foot in the penalty shoot-out after the match with Spain in the 1/8 finals.
People
Rolex fixed by welding
A Norwegian Rolex owner saved a fine sum of money when the wristband of his valuable timepiece was fixed by welding. The owner tried to take the watch to various watchmakers in Oslo to have it repaired. Several attempts were made to fix the wristband by, for instance gluing, but they all failed. One of these craftsmen suggested welding to fix the wristband but did not want to try it himself, in case the heat was to cause even more damage.
Manual welding
Strawberries of steel in the parliament's garden
Hundreds of meters of weld seams run through petioles in Jukka Lehtinen’s piece of art. Large flowers extend as high as three and a half meters, and two vast strawberries of steel hang in the air, weighing over 100 kilograms each. This piece of art, commissioned by the Finnish Parliament, was made with Kemppi equipment.
People
Expert insights: Choosing welding helmets and respiratory protection – prioritizing safety over cost
Selecting the right welding helmet and respiratory protection system is crucial for protecting welders in high-risk environments. While cost may factor into decisions, the need for effective, high-quality protection should always come first.
Safety, People
How does steel welding benefit from special processes?
Welding mild steels may often be considered a simple task. However, welding these steels has specific characteristics that can make the welding process challenging.
Manual welding, Welding ABC
New Kemppi Robotics Team
Achieving strategic goals and enhancing customer experience
People
