SCORPION, snail, dalek or giraffe, you name it, Natasha Gerakis can weld it.
The Swan Hill Strike a Pose Dance teacher began welding about six months ago when she was looking for a hobby.
“I’ve always wanted to learn to weld, it probably came from back when I was a teenager and watched Flash Dance for the first time,” Ms Gerakis told The Guardian.
“I’ve been collecting metal since we got the farm and moved here eight years ago in the hope that I would start welding one day.
“Last year as dance season was winding down, I thought right, I’m going to start — I need a hobby for myself and if I don’t start doing it now, we’re going to run out of space to store all of this metal.”
For a period of time, Ms Gerakis has been collecting all sorts of rusty, old scrap metal to create new art pieces for others to enjoy.
“I go to garage sales, clearing sales, have been asking friends and visiting local businesses to collect the scrap metal they throw out,” she said.
“I look for anything and everything — nuts, bolts, bearings, pins, and anything unusual like clogs or triangles that can be really hard to find.”
With an eye for creativity, Ms Gerakis has already designed and created boxes full of interesting and unique items from horseshoe cats, to cow pot plant holders and scorpions with movable pincers.
“They can go in the garden or sit on your bench or on the window sill,” she said.
“You’ve got to have a bit of an imagination and creativity to see beyond what’s in front of you.
“My husband’s now given me my own little shed and space to work. If I don’t use it now, it will sit in the shed and it might get a use later.”
While sourcing welding tips and pointers from her husband, Ms Gerakis received her first welding lessons from a neighbour who is a teacher.
This led to creating her first piece, a rusty snail made from old railway spikes, nuts, washers and nails.
“I started with snails and gave one to a friend for her 40th and she said, ‘you should get into making these and sell them’,” Ms Gerakis said.
“So I thought okay, I’ll try it and welded flat-out until my first market and made a whole profit of $40 that day.
“But now I’ve done about six markets and had repeat customers. I’ve also has interest from the Swan Hill Region Information Centre and the new art gallery in Lake Boga, Fine Edge.”
When seeking inspiration, Ms Gerakis said she turns to her children or the internet for ideas while also taking on board suggestions from her customers.
“I’ll give anything a go,” she said.
“The whole idea when I started was to make big pieces for my garden. I use stick welding and started small to build up my skills.”
When asked of her favourite piece, Ms Gerakis found it difficult to answer.
“It’s hard to say, I like all of them for different reasons,” she said.
“But the snails were my original piece and I like my scorpions, even though I personally don’t like the animal, the piece looks pretty cool.
“I’ve also had a lot of fun with the daleks from Doctor Who made from bearings. They’ve been really good and lots of people want them.”
After six months of refining her welding skills, Ms Gerakis said she has started to get the hang of it but admits welding isn’t always as easy as it looks.
“It’s pretty hard welding rusty old things and it can be pretty fiddly work,” she said.
“It’s a real challenge to design the pieces, then find the right metal, hold it, manipulate it and weld it.
“It’s physically hard work as you’re working with grinders that are heavy and metal that is sharp.”
Despite the challenges, Ms Gerakis said she loves the freedom of creating new art from scratch.
“I make a lot of animals and creations and don’t have to follow any pattern,” she said.
“For example, I’ve made a cat that doesn’t have a mouth but it’s a representation and doesn’t have to be exact.
“Like any sort of art, you just start and they evolve — in the art world you’ve got the leeway.
“It’s a hobby that I really love and enjoy and I’m having a lot of fun.”
Ms Gerakis sells her Rusty Nuts Metal Art at the Swan Hill Farmers Market with products ranging from $4 to $80.
To find out more, visit her Rusty Nuts Metal Art Facebook page or call 0407 520 263.
