RICHFIELD - Upon entering the town of Richfield by Highway 26, the usual sightings of cows and horses meet with a Jurassic reawakening. Here, you may spot a stegosaur included as part of an animal parade.

Of course, these animals are made of sheet metal and often pique the interest passersby.

"You just don't see anything like this," said Pete Jasso, a neighbor of Diaz Metal Art, the company that creates the animals. Jasso, a welder himself, said not just anyone can do this type of art.

It all began 10 years ago in Riverside, Calif., when Noel Diaz and Ricardo A. Breceda decided to take their welding experience to new heights. Their collaborated vision allowed them to create a 16-foot dinosaur. Although their first attempt was not what they considered a stellar performance, their confidence and dreams were fulfilled when they opened a metal art business four years later.

Then, Diaz and his wife Decey relocated to Idaho three years ago to be closer to his family. But his enjoyment of working with metal kept him traveling back to California to create metal art with Breceda, Decey's cousin.

"My family thought we were crazy," said Decey Diaz. "Noel made the decision four months ago to bring our animals here."

Her family's concerns were valid: the animals did not stroll into Idaho two-by-two, but rather in pieces.

Diaz attained a CDL so he could transport the framework to Richfield. On average, the family travels to California about every three weeks. When the metal pieces are collected, Diaz then welds them together and adorns them with details - from horses' wiry-haired curly tails to birds' feather texture and earthy characteristics. The process, from start to finish, takes 15 to 30 days depending on size and specifications.

Diaz also dabbles in metal art for home décor, for inside and outside the home.

"This makes me very happy," he said.

Times-News correspondent Aimee Durand can be reached at 490-0199 or aimeedurand@hughes.net.

Artistic creations

Diaz Metal Art, 1142 E. 720 N. in Richfield, sells animal and other sheet metal art. Animals include, but is not limited to, elephants, giraffes, elk, moose, horses and dinosaurs. Prices vary due to size and specialty, but start at about $700 to roughly $5,000 with discounts for personal pick up.