A metal artist, I have been working in nonferrous metal since 1980 making original handcrafted sterling silver and mixed metal art jewelry.I also work in copper, weaving wire into a metal cloth, I sculpt animals, people and more abstract themes.
http://ritamarieross.com 512-577-3479
Where do I begin to talk about the influences that led or caused me to make Art? I grew up in Sandusky Ohio on the shores of Lake Erie. Art began as an escape from the other eight family members! I often found myself off alone in the adjacent field and woods daydreaming and making things with whatever I could find. Art is the place I could go to connect with myself and God.
Although, I have had no formal training (i.e. art school /college) I have been blessed to find teachers along the way that have shared their knowledge and patience. My passion for working with non-ferrous metal began in 1976 fabricating sterling silver jewelry. I developed a line of figurative pieces that later inspired me to recreate them in copper as sculpture. 1995 was the beginning of this shift towards larger works. I have found the process of sculpting goes beyond the physical aspects of working. It is an inner journey for me. My success can be attributed to my many failures. These accidents /mistakes have opened up new avenues of working as well as new ideas. Weaving copper, although not my only technique, is one of my favorites. It is a combination of weaving and metal fabrication. I use re-cycled wire that is softened by the heat of an oxy-acetylene torch. It is then woven and brazed together into a metal fabric. With this metal cloth I can build a long curve or sculpt an intricate frame work for my life-size animals or abstracted figurative pieces.
My works have been commissioned by hospitals, churches and private collectors. What once began as an escape is now the place I live.
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