The leaves are falling fast from the maples of garry oaks of the Comox Valley – but they are firmly fixed to the trees on Walter Moses’s property.
That’s because the trees he and his wife Sandra nurture are not wood but metal, so are in leaf all year round.

The couple are creating the miniature trees out of sheet metal as innovative decorative features for both inside and outside the home.

They are one of a range of items they are designing with the help of advanced computer programs linked to a high-definition plasma gas cutting machine at their new workshop in Eighth Street, Courtenay.

The couple have only been in business for two months, but they are already hard at work creating an array of cut-out metal designs ranging from Christmas tree ornaments to free-standing garden sculptures.

And on Saturday afternoon (November 18), they plan to showcase their unique creations for the first time at Comox Golf Club.

After serving in the Canadian Reserve Forces, Walter spent 34 years on the Lower Mainland working in the heavy steel and metal fabrication industry, where his eye for detail and precision was vital.

Projects he worked on included fabricating the metalwork for some of the world’s largest telescopes – including installations in Hawaii and Chile – and creating the metal structures for some of the big white-knuckle rides at amusement parks in the United States.

Following their move to the Comox Valley, the couple decided to set up in business on their own, and are full of praise for the local Community Futures program for its help in getting them started.

“They have been such an incredible help,” says Walter. “Everything from the business plan to book-keeping – and helping identify potential sources of start-up finance. They’ve been there with us throughout  and still are. I can’t speak highly enough of them – they have been fabulous.”

Now launched as Ablaze MetalArt and Design, Sandra works on the design side and Walter cuts and coats the finished products.

He favours working with black steel which is cut and then treated in variety of ways to give the metal different patinas. He’s currently experimenting with the use of different coatings on the same piece to highlight certain elements, such as the acorns on oak trees.

He expects much of their future work will be in one-off designs to fit customers’ needs, but he has become fascinated by the tree theme and has already made several in various sizes.

“They say that from tiny acorns mighty oaks grow – and that’s the way we hope the business will go, too,” he comments.

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