Tread Sculptures

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Tread Sculptures Tim Read is a sculptor who reclaims and recycles metal into beautiful pieces of art. His work always

Whether as a person or a piece of scrap-metal, Tim Read would say,

"The past does not determine your future." Tim has been creating art from old metal for years now and often interlaces it with glass creations by Rob Hayley and drawings by Linda MacAulay

Tread Sculptures Studio is a workshop and outdoor gallery nestled along the Yarra River on the northern outskirts of Melbourne. All of Tim's art, and his studio, can be viewed and purchased at the Bend of Isles property by appointment (0405101001). The Sculpture Trail contains many fine examples of Tim's art and is a relaxing, and often inspiring walk where you can choose from a large selection of varied pieces. To find out more information, to view pieces for sale or to find out about commissioned art go to http://treadsculptures.com.au/

12/10/2026

‘Shifting Light’
An old tank collected last week, a bit of cutting and shifting, and a new flower taking shape.
Shifting Light is almost three metres across, but the perforated mesh petals give it a softness that’s surprising for its size. The light comes through, and its appearance changes as the sun moves or you walk around it.
The inner petals keep the tank’s reddish-green colour and rust, with Japanese glass fishing floats sitting in the centre.
Here is a little look at the work that went into it—from collecting the steel to the finished flower.
Finished Friday and already found a home.

These two never even made it to the website.We’ve been playing around with some new flowers lately, still made entirely ...
04/10/2026

These two never even made it to the website.

We’ve been playing around with some new flowers lately, still made entirely from reclaimed material.

A lot of the curves in the petals are simply the original curves from old steel tanks, mixed with some perforated mesh I was lucky enough to find at a scrapyard. Good heavy perforated steel that isn’t galvanised or stainless isn’t that easy to come across, so finding a pile of it was a bit of a win.

We’ve really enjoyed incorporating it into the flowers. The way the light moves through the perforations adds something completely different.

Both flowers also have old Japanese glass fishing floats worked into the stamens.

They started out as pieces we were making for stock, but while they were partly built, some clients visiting the studio mentioned they were looking for flowers for a spot on their property with a big open outlook. I thought these two might be perfect.

We finished them off, sent through a photo and that was that — sold before they ever made it onto the website.

They were picked up on Friday and we received these beautiful photos yesterday of them in their new home.

We make quite a few flowers and still love making them, but every now and then a couple just come together particularly well.

These two definitely did.

100% reclaimed steel and glass, and a pretty good example of why I love working with old material.

01/10/2026

Golden Ground

It’s great to have a new wattle piece in stock—it’s been a while.

All the steel in this piece has been reclaimed from industry, and every glass element is cut by hand, glazed by hand and fired in the kiln. It’s labour-intensive, but absolutely worth it. I love the vibrancy of the green and gold.

Wattle has long held significance for many Aboriginal communities, reflecting a deep connection to Country, culture and the natural environment. Its bright yellow flowers have also become an enduring symbol of the Australian landscape.

24/09/2026

The Bone Collector

A couple of weeks ago, I spent a night in the studio making something purely because I needed to get some creativity out.

There wasn’t a drawing or much of a plan. I started with some deer antlers, and the piece gradually became this strange, mythical flying creature. There are three different sets of deer antlers in him, creating the wide wings and deer-like head. Beneath the wings, his body holds a collection of kangaroo bones and other bones I’d gathered from a mate’s property.

I called him The Bone Collector.

The idea behind him was loosely inspired by a story I heard while travelling through Mongolia. Horses are deeply connected to the people and culture there, and are seen as quite spiritual. I was told that when a horse dies, its head may be removed and placed with other horse skulls, often on a hill near a village.

The huge Mongolian vultures then come down and strip the remaining flesh from the skulls. When they eventually fly away, they are said to carry the spirit of the horse with them.

The Bone Collector isn’t meant to be a horse or a vulture. He’s simply his own creature, created from that story, a collection of found bones and one of those nights when I just needed to be in the studio making something.

We installed him at his new home yesterday afternoon. It’s always good to see a one-off piece like this find the right person and a place where it looks as though it belongs.

17/09/2026

Our fireball ‘Wilson’ turns out to be great for burning off.

I can take him to wherever I’m cleaning up, load him full of scrub, then bring him back to base for an enjoyable fire while keeping everything well contained.

Eventually, Wilson will be incorporated into a sculpture, but until the fire restrictions come in, he’ll be earning his keep helping with the clean-up around here.

Thanks, Wilson. 🔥

It’s been years since Linda MacAulay and I created this large panel depicting a snapshot of the Yarra River in Warrandyt...
09/09/2026

It’s been years since Linda MacAulay and I created this large panel depicting a snapshot of the Yarra River in Warrandyte, originally made to be backlit beside the stage during the Warrandyte Festival.

The whole piece was plasma cut by hand, and Linda even used steel grindings in the paintwork on the kookaburra. Over time they slowly rusted, allowing some beautiful natural brown to come back through the paint.

With a piece like this, I never really worry about how long it stays here. It just settles somewhere around the property, sometimes almost disappearing amongst all the other artwork, waiting for the right person to discover it at the right time.

And for this one, that person was Sandi from the Warrandyte Diary.

Sandi has been a great friend to Tread Sculptures over the years, as she has been to so many people throughout the Shire. There seems something very fitting about a piece that is so very Warrandyte finding a new owner who is also so very Warrandyte.

It’s now doing a great job of disguising the big solar batteries on the side of Sandi’s house.

06/08/2026

We love when nature interacts with our art even if it is cocky’s!
Time to make another version of our spiralling Cascades water feature I think.

'ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜʀᴇꜱʜᴏʟᴅ' ꜰʀᴇꜱʜ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴜᴅɪᴏ.One of the things I love most about reclaimed materials is that they bring their o...
03/08/2026

'ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜʀᴇꜱʜᴏʟᴅ' ꜰʀᴇꜱʜ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴜᴅɪᴏ.

One of the things I love most about reclaimed materials is that they bring their own history with them.

The arch of this gateway is formed from reclaimed excavator track chain, while the beautiful teak doors once stood at the entrance to a home in Rajasthan. For somewhere between 150 and 200 years they welcomed family, friends and strangers alike. Now they've found a new purpose, framed in steel, with a disc of hand-slumped red glass suspended above to catch the changing light.

Long before these doors became sculpture, they welcomed people home. They still do.

A reminder that while we can't choose where every path begins, we can choose to step forward with openness and curiosity.

Created from reclaimed steel, antique teak and handmade kiln slumped glass.

Address

225 Catani Boulevard
Bend Of Islands, VIC
3097

Telephone

+61405101001

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