Artist
I use the term artist to categorize myself because it seems closest to describing how I have felt and thought, how and what I have perceived, and the apparently irrational ways I have interacted with the world since I was a small child.
Sculptor
I identify as a sculptor because the images that come to me in my studio when I'm designing or just anytime, awake or dreaming, and whether non-objective or abstractly representational, are always 3-dimensional.
Art Education
When I was a child in Corpus Christi, Texas, my artwork was recognized and praised by my teachers and my school.
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As a rebellious teenager, I somehow came up with the notion that art is something that can't be taught or learned. I felt that skills like drawing, painting, welding, and carving could be acquired and I saw great benefit in the study of art history. However, making art seemed somewhat mystical, coming from an artist's personal vision. It was a vague idea, but I used it to justify my juvenile refusal to take art classes.
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In those years I was a hopeless romantic, in love with the Impressionist paintings I saw in books. I was also taken with the exceptional collection at the Fort Worth Museum. I realize now that those Abstract Expressionist pieces came to define serious art for me for many years.
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Even as a child I was interested in architecture and it continues to greatly influence my work.
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Playing on the rocks by Corpus Christi Bay, exploring the creeks in North Texas, living and traveling in New Mexico and the magical Sonoran Desert - all have contributed to my artistic vision.
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When I was in my twenties, in the 1970's, my girlfriend asked me to take a stained glass class with her. I enjoyed it. Very quickly I was designing my own pieces and learning how to use a craft to express my creativity. After opening a studio in New Mexico, I began to use sandblasted glass in my work. After a few years and many experiences, I started to focus on sculpture and functional art pieces like tables, desks, and light fixtures. In the 1990's, to supplement my income I created special wall finishes for interior designers, which was in itself an invaluable education in the use of color.
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Now, in my seventies, my focus is solely on my sculpture. Looking back, I can see that my art education has come about from much traveling, museums and galleries, and artists I've known
personally.
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So many things have influenced my vision, but it's only in the actual making of art that I learn how better to express that vision. Each piece is an experiment and an exploration.
In The Studio
Studio Assistants Frank & Frankie adding glass to a new piece
Michael Sutton with Malai Kitchen Co-Founder Braden Wages
