Young Sculptor Makes Flower Delivery
by Jeff Wright
Seventeen-year-old Cullen Thompson isn’t in the floral business, but he made a flower run anyway this week to Crystsal Binkholder, owner of Hermann Florist at 214 Market Street.
She had been expecting the sculptures ever since she made a donation to Hermann High School’s Agriculture Department, taught by Lisa Grosse. “I asked for one to be five-foot and one to be six-foot,” Binkholder said. Beyond that, Cullen had free-reign.
“She was pretty shocked when she saw them,” Cullen said.
“They’re frickin’ awesome. I love them,” said Binkholder on Tuesday. “They exceeded my expectations. I didn’t know what to expect. They’re heavy enough that I don’t think theft or the wind is going to be an issue.”
Cullen figures the sculptures weigh about 60 to 70 pounds each. For the flowers’ center, he used bulldozer gears and chainsaw sprockets. The son of Larry and Kelly Thompson said he worked on the sculptures an hour a day for one month, as part of his Agriculture Construction class.
He used a MIG welder and settling torch, along with some sheet metal he heated “until it was cherry red, and let it cool by itself.” Cullen said this accounts for the flower pedals’ interesting colors.
Before he took on the assignment, Cullen already was sculpting flowers using horseshoes and re-rod. He’s thinking about making more flowers like the ones he delivered to Binkholder. He’d price the tall one at about $185, and the smaller, five-ft. sculpture, $165.
“I think this will be a good start to making a little money on the side,” Cullen said.