Junkyard wonderland: Sculptor turns scrap metal into art

Adorable little goblins with sharp, pointy teeth are revolutionizing garden accessories and lawn art one gnome at a time.

Creatures made of scrap metal, rusty screws and bolts greet the visitor to the Sugar Post metal shop, 80 W. Truman Ave. Metal grasshoppers hang from the wall, and a 6-foot skeleton, with ribs made of carefully lined wrenches, makes Fred Conlon's showroom complete.

Conlon, originally a potter, said he always had ideas of things he wanted to make with metal. His love for welding goes back to his college days, where he learned to weld on a whim for a job interview.

After graduating from the University of Utah with a degree in communications, Conlon went another route, opening a pottery shop. Until about 11 years ago, pottery held Conlon's interest, but an ordinary trip to Smith and Edwards surplus store sparked a big idea.

Conlon saw a pile of old army helmets and remembered his grandfather's description of Pearl Harbor.

"War happens quickly, but peace happens slowly," Conlon said. The old, rusted, World War II helmets reminded him of turtle shells and the animal's slow crawl.

Conlon crafted a turtle, using the helmet as a shell and drill bits for the feet, and used it as decoration for his pottery shop. A regular customer asked how much Conlon wanted for the turtle.

"I sold it, and quickly made 10 more and sold all of them," Conlon recounted, remembering his surprise at their popularity. It is still the most popular item in his inventory.

"It sort of takes things full circle. Things that were used in combat are now peaceful. I'm making war things into whimsical garden accessories," Conlon said.

And with the turtle a success, Conlon's metal art became his professional focus.

Sugar Post's inventory grew to include ladybugs, which are army helmets painted red with welded spots and large, skinny nails for legs. What Conlon refers to as a transition pieces, the "Gnome Be Gone" and "Flamingo-away" take a stab at traditional yard-art fixtures. The classic lawn gnome and flamingo are used in a fusion with Conlon's creature creations.

The hauling away of gnomes and flamingoes is pretty literal in Conlon's mind.

"We want crappy stuff out of gardens and cool stuff in. You know, help control the gnome population," Conlon joked.

When the little "Gnome Be Gone" creatures aren't hauling off gnomes, Conlon has them surfing, flying on rockets and manning tanks.

"People have really creepy things in their gardens. I wanted to make stuff that wasn't just made in China," Conlon said.

Products range in price from $20 to more than $8,000. Conlon's creativity really shines through in the custom products he has produced. The intricate details and the natural rusting greatly add to the conceptual pieces Conlon brings to life.