People sometimes ask what I do with items I find when I’m out metal detecting. For a long time, I have been hanging on to everything I find, unless it’s particularly dangerous like leaking batteries. That means I have a large collection of metal bits, coins destroyed beyond recognition, toy cars, pop tabs…you name it! So why not create some metal detecting artwork?

When my childhood friend from Japan requested a special piece of artwork from me, I knew that it was a great opportunity to showcase the discarded items found on the beach with my metal detector. She requested a particular color scheme in a triptych (group of three).

The piece is titled Supernova – inspired by beautiful and powerful stellar events. I centered the piece on vibrant yellow and bright white. The materials include beach sand, nails, aluminum scraps, bottle caps, and other objects I found while metal detecting. These items were the result of many hours of work, so it was my way of sharing a piece of my life with her.

“Supernova” was requested to display in three pieces in colors of yellow, blue, and gray.

Clean Sweep

What comes to mind when you see these items? Our public places like beaches and parks are often very littered. As detectorists, we play a small part in cleaning in addition to the fun.

The deeper meaning of this piece serves as a reminder that every part of our universe – from massive stellar events to grains of sand – is connected. We can all do our part to take care of our small corner of the universe by being more mindful of the small bits of trash we leave behind.

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If you are interested in commissioning a piece, I really enjoy creating custom artwork. Contact me to learn more and share your thoughts about Supernova as well.

Detail: The center of Supernova explodes from the center in bright white and yellow.

Detail: A train car toy and bottle caps along with a glass bottle neck.

Detail: Broken sunglasses and a large pop can tab.

Detail: The darker side of discarded items disintegrating into sand.