“I am attracted to real world objects, constantly rescuing discarded metal objects from the road and the highway.  I should have a bumper sticker that says-“I brake for metal scrap!”

D.R. Mettelman

About 17 years ago, with scraps of copper given to me by a metalsmith friend, I started a 2D collage. After learning how to make a copper rivet, I had made my first piece of wall art, and I was hooked.

Since then, with varied  combinations of metals, I continue to  create. Sometimes I braze,  solder,  and use common commercial fasteners, but the copper rivet continues to be my mainstay.   Using  wood, paint, copper pipe and fittings, I have expanded to create 3D sculpture and furniture.

An avid hiker,  I began to include  stones  collected on mountain  hikes. Including raw stone with the discarded or “scrap” objects from once natural resources completes the connection to my love of nature. Using recycled materials allows me to communicate the beauty that I see in these discarded objects.

My pieces seem to create themselves, and like all art, are open to the viewer’s interpretation. I am merely the conduit through which the creations are formed.

The work makes me happy, and I am thrilled when others enjoy it.