Works of Heart

The Shape of Things to Come!

Story and photos by Leigh Sharps

When a relative made a special request to Bonni Acton of Holderness to create a metal moose as a mantle focal point, she didn’t know that the new hobby would become such a satisfying pastime for her currently growing small business.

That was 10 years ago and now Bonni sees her artistic opportunities as having no boundaries. In fact, her future is literally in the ‘shape of things to come.’ Those shapes are the basis for the innovative items she produces through her art of metalwork.

“I began by working plasma cut metal by hand to use as hardware in our home. That was before I realized how much more creative and productive I could be with a CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) table set-up. After my step sister asked about making the mantle moose, I went on to fulfill several other requests for her. People began to see what I was creating and started showing interest in my work and I just took it from there,” she said.

This year has been her most prolific thus far. “I’ve been getting many requests from people who get their ideas from everywhere...nature, pictures in books, their pets, family members; they just come up with multitudes of ideas and I take those ideas, design them and produce them.”

 “I discuss with clients to discover what their specific ideas are and whether they intend their items to be for indoor or outdoor use. My media is called ‘mild steel’ (whose natural color is silverish). If it’s for exterior use I suggest they have it powder coated to preserve the material. That method is durable and never rusts.” Powder coating is a finishing process where dry, free-flowing (thermoplastic) powder material is applied to surfaces, and then it is melted in an extremely hot-oven procedure. The surface hardens into an even coating. It comes in many different colors as well.

Bonni then determines color, size and thickness according to a client’s wishes. Using the Adobe Illustrator program, she draws the design and saves it into a DXF file. (DXF stands for Drawing Interchange Format which was developed by Autodesk). It is a computer-aided design transfer system that takes the drawing and imports it into the CNC Plasma Cam program.  

“From there I can make changes or additions to it, as needed, to personalize the end product. The CNC table is 4x4 and I can cut metal 4 feet wide and up to 3/8th inches thick.” 

Bonni continues, “Once the piece is cut, I deburr it and either bring it to the powder coating finish or I will prime and paint it myself.”

However, she says if a powder finish or a hand-painted finish isn’t desired, a client has the option to choose either the natural silver sheen of the steel or a rusted/vintage patina. All are equally popular, Bonni notes. 

She says the inspirations mainly come from her patrons who “have outstanding ideas but then I tell them I can take their ideas one step further and personalize them with names or themes, for instance.” One example she cites is her latest completed project, an entryway hall sign/coat rack which states ‘Rumney Retreat’ festooned with evergreen tree outlines.

Bonni’s metal outline ‘maps’ of Big Squam Lake are popular as wall hangings in varying sizes, but also as smaller Christmas tree ornaments. A friend’s granddaughter was recently gifted a large ‘Squam Lake’ wall metal artwork by Bonni for her university dorm room. “She told me she loved it, her friends all admired it, but most of all, it reminded her of home. That made me happy.”

For now, Bonni plans on keeping her business small but sees it slowly growing. As the holiday season will soon be upon us, she says, “I’m happy to make Christmas gifts. I’ve always loved the different seasons and holidays and the decorations that go along with them, so themed ornaments, etc. are so special. I’ve made personalized birthday gifts, anniversary presents, military items, business signs and other such unique products.”

Some examples of her work are: standing moose and bear outlines, Squam Lake maps with lettering, military medal racks personalized with a last name, flags (distressed, contemporary, themed), welcome signs for a driveway or end of roadway, signs with last names but customized (with a favorite pet’s outline, a frog, turtle, sailboat, a favorite car or truck, etc.), business signs, car logos, key rings in the shape of your car or specialty vehicle and, of course, special signage with your beloved pet’s face outline or paw print to place over his or her bed or bowls.

One of her best sellers this summer and fall were Christmas ornaments featuring outlines of Squam Lake. “I think tourists like the idea of bringing a trip reminder home,” Bonni explains. “Putting those ornaments on their Christmas trees continues to remind them of what a wonderful and beautiful place the Squam Lakes area and the Lakes Region area, in general, are and they are reminded of that every time they look at their ornaments during that joyous time of year.”

Bonni’s specialty items are gaining popularity every day. Anniversary and wedding gifts, company business signs, plaques and architectural metal are all in her expanding repertoire. She recently fabricated a special wall decoration commemorating a couple’s wedding day, which featured a ski lift displaying their mutual interest in the sport. That is just one example of the singular ideas conceived by clients and fulfilled by Bonni. 

When she says she can make the shape of ’cobras’ she just doesn’t mean the snake. She is referring to the design of the CSX Cobra high-performance sports car. Her craft is a natural progression/offshoot from her husband’s business, Acton Custom Enterprises (ACE), which caters to the restoration and fabrication of parts for the Cobra. Bonni also helps in the business, which is a full-service machine and metal fabrication shop. This consists of shaping, welding, designing, building as well as machining most metals. It’s easy to see how her interest in her husband’s business turned into a specialty art form for her.

Bonni says anyone interested in her work should check her Facebook page. “It really showcases the pieces I’ve already done and I’m always updating it with current work. I can sell all the items on the page or I can customize them to certain specifications. If you have an idea, let's talk!” 

Visit on Facebook: ActonMetalArt, or email bonni.acton@gmail.com. You may call Bonni at 603-279-0241.