Magic in metal for multi-talented Bridgnorth metalsmith
It is part art and part science, combining a keen eye for shape and style with maths, engineering and skills on a machine.
Tim Roper has been creating metal sculptures for 15 years and his work will be instantly recognisable to anybody who has ever visited Dudley Zoo. But the 48-year-old, from Burwarton near Bridgnorth, says it’s something he has to approach differently with each commision, and that there is no one size fits all approach.
His latest work is an eight-foot tall stainless steel sculpture to sit outside the Royal Armoured Corps at Bovington, Dorset, unveiled at a ceremony earlier this month.
Mr Roper said: “I’m a mix between an engineer and a sculptor. You need a lot of equipment and a lot of know-how. There’s a huge art in painting and a lot of skills to learn, but what I do needs a lot of machinery – you can’t just pick it up straight away.
“It takes a lot of planning, sketches. I have to keep what techniques I can use in mind. You’re always thinking of better ways to do something. There’s never a point where you’re where you want to be.”
