The design idea for Trapped Ball came about shortly after building Ball Tower. It was a collaboration piece with my friend, engineer Mark Semler. He inspired it by asking “What if we curve the sides of Ball Tower?”

We did a lot of trial and error, experimenting with different sized balls and columns.
The complexity and technical intricacy of this piece led me to begin using the help of computer programs to give me a 3-D design of the art that was in my head. I have worked with CAD (the software that came with my original Plasma Cutter), Pro-Engineer, Solid Works, and Form Z. Form Z is the newest and most specific of these software programs. They all enable me to get a 3-D version of my designs and allow me to figure out the logistics of different designs.

The computer programming necessary for this piece added a different dimension and level to my designing and I couldn’t imagine trying to create new pieces without it now!

The sculpture shown here is made of Cor-Ten. In the catalog, it is shown in Stainless Steel with a matte finish and in the video below you will see one with a flipflop finish in addition to the matte. Most of the Stainless pieces can be done in a variety of finishes, and will vary depending upon my mood and inspiration while working, or based upon a client request. The same goes for the ball. I tend to prefer a painted ball with the Cor-Ten version, and an oxidized ball (treated with Penetrol) in the Stainless version, but the final decision can be left to the clients desire.