The biggest challenge for Scott Osborne was turning sheet metal and steel piping into a realistic depiction of the steps of a butterfly’s metamorphosis.
“It was a challenge taking those items and turning it into something that has a natural effect,” he said. “It was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot throughout the process.”
Osborne, 26, was commissioned by the Carmel Clay Historical Society to create a sculpture demonstrating “The Life Cycle” for the CCHS butterfly garden at the Monon Depot. The Carmel resident’s sculpture was unveiled virtually June 13 on Facebook, YouTube and Carmel TV.
“I decided to make it a three-dimensional sculpture,” he said. ‘It developed into creating something that was educational and more realistic and scientific behind its portrayal. (CCHS) wanted something educational, so it took away from doing anything abstract or anything like that.”
The Carmel resident gave names to each part of the sculpture: Eugene the Egg, Carter the Caterpillar, Crystal the Chrysalis and Beatriz the Butterfly.
“I had a clear idea what I was going to do for the caterpillar,” Osborne said. “The trickiest one was the chrysalis, because it’s mainly sheet metal on a rod structure. The egg was the most tedious one. As far as painting, the caterpillar took the most effort.”
Osborne, a 2019 IUPUI Herron School of Art and Design graduate who grew up in Carmel, started the project in the spring of 2019. After graduation, he didn’t have space to work on it. The project was put on hold for a few months while he found studio space in Carmel.
“It was seven months of actual work,” he said.
CCHS Executive Director Debbie Gangstad credited the City of Carmel’s Art Grant Committee for funding of the project.
The sculpture was Osborne’s second for CCHS. The first was an interactive piece called “Blossoming,” which was unveiled March 22, 2019.
Osborne, who has several commissioned pieces in Carmel and Indianapolis, primarily creates larger-than-life sculptures that incorporate metal and other materials.
