‘Something from nothing’: This Alberta man is creating intricate art out of scrapped cutlery

An Edmonton-area artist who previously found success with old cutlery is now turning old propane tanks into works of art.

An Alberta man is getting scrappy with how he exercises his creative muscles.

David Mcauley, known as TheeUpCycler online, works out of Calmar, taking odd pieces of scrap metal and turning them into all types of animals: polar bears, wolves, eagles, ducks, fish and more. He and his team have affectionately dubbed their workspace “the Zoo.”

He’s also taking old propane tanks and turning them into lanterns that range in price from $100 to $5,000, depending on the intricacy of the design. Those designs are quickly gaining an online client and fan base.

Edmonton-born and Wetaskiwin-raised Mcauley is no stranger to working with his hands. He’s owned businesses in landscaping, oilfield servicing and transportation.

And despite always liking work that allowed him an artistic flair, he says he was a different man when he first started TheeUpCycler in 2019. He even went by a different name — Mr. Utensils — for his propensity for tinkering with nuts, bolts and cutlery as a hobby to keep his hands busy.

“(I was) going through some struggles in life,” he said in an interview Wednesday. “(This allowed) myself the ability to just create and do something that brought me joy instead of going out and distracting myself with things that were harmful to me.”

He originally began buying his supplies new before quickly realizing that wouldn’t be sustainable. He’s since partnered with Goodwill Sustainability, gathering materials from all over Alberta that are destined for recycling.

“We’re always trying to outsource and keep whatever we can out of the landfill,” said Lorraine Burkin, Mcauley’s girlfriend and one of the few helping him in his workshop.

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Mcauley said Edmonton alone generates tens of thousands of pounds a year of discarded silverware, which both helps his search for supplies and adds a depth to his work he’s proud to discuss.

“It’s pieces of family history. We could talk about that for days, the energy behind it, the thousands of people that have eaten from these forks and knives and spoons, share stories and family memories and these bonding moments,” he reflected.

“And now look what comes out of it. It’s surreal, and that’s part of the beauty.”

One day, Mcauley found an old air tank on Facebook Marketplace. He spent $50 on what would become his newest medium.

“I drew an eagle on one side, I drew a face silhouette on the other, torched it out with the plasma cutter, and we lit a fire,” he explained. “It was like, ‘This is pretty cool.’”

Today, those lanterns have propelled a humble hobby/business into a much larger vision. Mcauley hopes to someday open up his space to fellow creatives looking to resurrect discarded items.

“My whole life is something from nothing, and here we are taking scraps and making something beautiful of it,” he said.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Matt Woodman