Artist Highlight

Inspiration

“As natives of Michigan, it’s easy to find inspiration for our work in the natural beauty that surrounds us every day. Growing up in the Upper Peninsula (Scott), and on a centennial farm in southwestern Michigan (Victoria), we fondly recall the rugged wilderness, the breathtaking Lake Michigan sunsets, and the gentle vistas of the rolling farmland of our youth. It is those stories, and other adventures, that we attempt to capture in the water and landscape sculptures we create. We are continually blessed with the opportunity for travel, and find the coastlines of the eastern seaboard, the Gulf of Mexico, and the wide open spaces of America’s heartland of particular inspiration to our current body of work.”

Process

We create contemporary landscapes in a non-traditional medium: steel. The unexpected element in our work is found in the marriage between the disciplines of fine metalsmithing, metal fabrication, and the sensual combination of color layering normally associated with surface design techniques. The work begins as a simple sketch on a blank sheet of steel. Numerous techniques are employed in the creation of each piece, and may include cutting by hand with a torch or sheers, multiple layer faceting by hand with grinding tools, and cold assembly with industrial adhesive on a finished wood base. The depth of color is achieved through the precise and controlled application of heat, a process we refer to as “painting with fire.” Transparent dyes are sometimes overlaid for textural or visual enhancement, and a museum grade, archival quality coating is applied for preservation.