From Meteorologist to Artist

In 2007, I retired as a meteorologist after 50 years of work and have been focusing mainly on my art, from sculptures to functional art to metal collages. I have been working in this arena for over two decades. Being self taught with no formal training, my work has been exhibited at numerous shows and exhibits in the Washington, DC/Baltimore area. Most importantly, I love what I’m doing.

Sustainable Art: From the Junkyard to the Gallery

Over the past few years, I have begun a new phase in my work by creating functional furniture as well as a large series of 3D metal collages. In my furniture series, I am creating cocktail and other tables using oak from an old German log cabin built in Indiana during the 1850’s, and old copper from our friends Yellow Barn Farm in Zelienople, PA .Old patinaed gutters and downspouts come from an upper Baltimore County house and the local junk yards that let me explore provide some of the other findings for my work. It is really exciting to find these treasures with all their natural color and beauty and to be able to integrate them into new works of art. You can see my older work, which focused on eclectic and whimsical assemblages at my old website http://renewableartifacts.com. I look at this work as part of my sculpture anthology.

Vision and Treasure Hunts

In the early 1990’s when I first started to work as an artist, my focus was on creating sculptures. The timeworn quality of the old farm implements that I have been collecting helped form the vision for my work. I first started working with farm equipment that was fashioned years ago of hand-wrought metals and are very sculptural in themselves. I tried to preserve the integrity of these artifacts while assembling them into forms that appeal to me. I also discovered great sources of steel, aluminum, copper and other metals during my treasure hunts.

In searching for a way to show off the beauty of these artifacts, I found that juxtaposing these well-used parts with the textures and intricacies of modern day machine parts along with wood and other materials, allowed me to create something entirely new: a work of art that enhances the complexities of each. The interaction of the new and old creates an intensity that is not found in one alone. As I go beyond the forms themselves, I often add color to enhance the texture and depth of the piece. In many cases, the work that I create take on lives of their own, developing a personality and character that often sets a mood that seems to speak to viewers in various ways. As I continue my search through junk yards, (the goldmines for the objects that become my art) I am also captivated by what lies beneath the rust and grime. The stories that accompany these parts are often as intriguing as the parts themselves. I try to convey something of their stories in my sculptures.

Schedule a Studio Visit

And, if you are ever in the Baltimore area, please visit my studio, located in the Old Crown Cork and Seal Complex. It’s pretty cool. My studio is in the Highland area of Baltimore, MD. You can reach me at emg144@comcast.net or by phone at 301-509-1171. Directions can be found in the contact section.

Crown Industrial Park
4401 Eastern Avenue
Intersection of Oldham and Fait Street
Building 45 Studio 3E
Baltimore, MD