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Artist Statement

I love metal and its endless possibilities. Aluminum is soft and oh-so-shiny. Steel is organic and reactive to patina. Copper gives me a new world of color. And the treasures of recycled metal, which I find sifting through piles in a scrap yard, will become waste transformed once I'm back in the studio.

As I work toward organic, abstract shapes, I feel a Zen-like sense of calm and tranquility.

Later, as I add bright and vibrant dyes to the metal, where patinas react unexpectedly and I never know exactly what will happen next, I reach what I call a state of "metalphoria"… a sense of heightened pleasure induced by the act of playing with metal.

Like most of us, I'm fascinated with fire. It is beautiful, warm, dangerous, and draws me in with its never-ending dance of flame. So adding the heat of fire to the cold of metal, especially when viewed at night, created yet another transformation that, for me, was alluring and mysterious.

I'm mesmerized by the magic of lighting in a sculpture and how it reflects off the grinding patterns in the metal. In the dark, the light plays with shadows on the wall and I get a whole new sense of awe with the piece.

When I'm working with metal I feel a connection to the universe and a sense of wonderment especially once I've transformed the raw material into a new piece of beauty… it is a time when I'm truly totally present in the moment.

– Kristen Hoard