Wally’s original designs for railings, gates and balconies, are both decorative and functional. Individual panels can be incorporated into larger schemes of wrought iron work but also serve as decorative sculpture in their own right. Wally first began to explore ironwork after seeing Victorian ironwork in the unfamiliar setting and brilliant sunlight of New South Wales and his designs are heavily influenced by his work as a silversmith.
Recent commissions include panels in cast aluminium for the parapets of a new road bridge over the Grand Union Canal in Northampton and the balcony for the external spiral staircase to a private home. Existing designs can be adapted or new ones developed for integration into specific locations. The primary cost is in designing and making the original ‘pattern’, which is normally carved in wood. As such, the cost of subsequent castings drops.
Wally gained his experience of casting iron as artist in residence on the 'Arts in Industry' program at the Kohler foundry in Wisconsin, USA. Regarding Wally’s time at Kohler, Kim Cridler wrote 'Wally was easy to work with, warm but direct, hardworking, with a kind of tenacity, good humour and flexibility that enabled him to make the most of the Kohler facilities. Wally pursued a very aggressive project and was undaunted by both the formidable learning curve and technical hurdles that he encountered. He created a very impressive series of large cast iron decorative panels made possible through his diligence and ability to think on his feet.'