Doug Hays - Sculpture

I have always been intrigued by anything transformed by fire. The excitement of a hot forge and hammering metal drew me instantly and I was hooked. I dabbled at metalsmithing as much as I could while in college. After I graduated in 1992, I decided to pursue my passion full time.

Since then my skills have broadened and I use many techniques to make my sculptures. Being rooted in the blacksmithing tradition, I use my hammer and anvil daily, but I also use modern machinery in order to make big projects. I'm totally self taught, learning from books and from experimentation. By trial and error I developed my skills over the years with the enthusiasm of a student. Along the way I learned how to build machines to help me.

One of the benefits of being a metalsmith is the tradition of making one's own tools. Besides my anvil, one of my most used tools is a home built computer controlled cutter. With this, I can design shapes on my computer which can then be cut in large scale out of plates of steel. After that, I put my blacksmithing skills to work, bending, twisting, and welding together the finished sculptures. The whole process is intuitive and rhythmic and the works take on organic forms of their own.

As I work on these sculptures, they always turn out larger than I intended. I often work in monumental scale as I draw from nature for inspiration. My sculptures have to be large to take their place outdoors. This is very important for exterior work; small pieces are easily lost in the landscape. Big work can enhance a landscape, fit in without overpowering, evoke emotion, soothe, and inspire.

I often look to the rhythmic lines of plants, repeated patterns on animals, along with my own intuition for my work. While much of my sculpture is abstract, I also enjoy sculpting animals, especially birds and horses. I work to bring about a feeling of symmetry and balance. While I work in my studio, I let the creative spirit direct me. Whether I am sculpting a bird or a big polygon, they both have a life of their own. It is very rewarding to capture the expression of an animal or to give the impression of movement in an abstract form, especially in gestures that are larger than life.

These pieces are very suited to public parks and streetscapes. To this end, I'm very involved in bringing public art to our community. I believe that art enriches all of our lives and brings us together. It offers cultural identity and civic pride. I'm interested in bringing back some of the old world aesthetic values to our urban fixtures. Street furniture can be art itself. I enjoy producing functional work like bike racks and benches that are sculptures themselves. I strive to bring art alive in all aspects of our lives and am dedicated to that pursuit.