My metal sculpture is created from pieces I find beside the road, at the local landfill, or given to me by others. I use a barn made safe from the inherent dangers of welding and out of the way enough that I can amass metal scrap without creating an eyesore. My desire to learn to weld was born of seeing that so much metal was destined for the landfill when they no longer served their original purpose. I suppose I wanted to rescue them.

The studio-barn holds an accumulation of these “found” pieces, spread out so I can pick what I want as I create a sculpture. The shape of these pieces will often suggest what it is meant to become, while other times I start out with an idea and then find the pieces that satisfy the intent. In this way, creating a piece becomes an interplay between my mental images and the scrap pile.

I use a MIG welder (HOBART 250 v), an acetylene-oxygen torch, and a plasma cutter. The cutter heats the steel to the melting point and then blows away the slag, creating shapes of whatever design I desire.

Many of my sculptures are whimsical animals, ranging from owls and giraffes to creatures I can’t even identify. Others are serious and abstract representations.

After forming, sculptures are left rusty, sandblasted to the original steel finish, or painted. All are designed for either indoor or outdoor display.