Metal

NonFerrousCreations was born from an idea James wanted to pursue while working with local artists in the Dayton, Ohio community. While normally we specialize in industrial products, there were opportunities for us to begin working with local artists on projects throughout the community. A major break came during an event called “Ringing in the Holidays” which helped to support the Dayton Historical Society. Each year a bell was designed, cast, and sold at the event. Finally, after eight years of petitioning to design the bell for the event James finally got to have his moment. He designed one of the most popular bells for the event; the bell was called “The Flower Bell” (currently for sale). This bell helped to launch a new day for us as James finally began to see all that he could offer to the Dayton community with his art.

Imagination

While James's creation did help to sate his appetite for art, he still wanted to create even more items. He began creating pieces for the Dayton Visual Arts Center and not only was he beginning to create, he was also gaining a following in the community for his unique designs. The pieces “Climb” and “Persevere” were created during this time and helped James establish himself in the community. There have been many "one off" pieces that he has created since, with most selling during the various art exhibits in Dayton.

Creation

All of the work is designed, cast, poured, and finished here at our facility. This remained a tenet of James’s focus while creating NonFerrousCreations. While he was creating his "one off" pieces for the shows, he saw that there was a great formula to create products on a larger scale. Drawing from his extensive industrial knowledge of the casting industry, he decided to put decorative design and practical ideas together. The bells were a part of our history for a long time so we began with them, followed by the goblets (both brass and aluminum), the garden paver plaques, the pans, the smaller wedding bell, and finally the bookends (and more to come!).

Innovation

There is always a strong desire to branch out into even more fields. During the melting and pouring processes we see inspiration all around us. Spills, flashing, and other pouring anomalies that result have also been inspiration for potentially new “one off” designs for jewelry and other small pieces. These creations take a keen eye because you have to see the beauty behind the mess. We are constantly trying out new processes and keep a watchful eye out for new innovating techniques. James would love to hear from you if you have any questions about what we do here. If you do have any, please do not hesitate to ask. Thank you for visiting and taking the time to learn about our story.