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| When I was around 6-7 years old My buddies parents (The Carrols) had this cool sculpture that had a ball drop down and eventually hit a bicycle bell. I was mesmerized with it and thought it was so damn cool... He said his Mom had gotten it at some hippie art show called the Sawdust Festival! I moved to Europe with this stuck in my mind so I made ball sculptures out of toothpicks since I wasn't old enought ot weld just yet and the toothpick sculptures got enormous!!! Eventually I took a hot metals class (Mr. Ingrams) in high school, but the high school teacher said we couldn't make wire sculptures because students ahead of me were wasting wire, and that he would flunk anyone if he saw us doing it. One day Ingrams was absent and the substitute had no idea of this rule and it gave me just enough time to make a small ball sculpture, all the kids in class were kind of holding their breath knowing I was totally busted if our regular teacher were to walk in at anytime. I hid my new sculpture in my locker till end of semester. My hot metals teacher had us clear out our lockers and saw my sculpture.......angrily he pronounced at the top of his lungs......"Brindley"....paralyzing fear took over the class.......I didn't even say anything......I just scrambled for the ball and dropped it in and watched the teachers face....His face meltded from anger to become childlike...... He laughed like Santa Claus, so hard and said your lucky Brindley I don't fail you....get out of here...... I had already come to terms that if he failed me, it would be worth having my sculpture because that was the only reason I took the course! I had so much fun showing people for years and telling the story! One day I had a party with alot of people in a drunken stupor and someone fell on it and smashed it beyond repair I was so bummed, but it led me to eventually buy a welding kit and start welding more to this day!!! Now I sell these sculptures at the Sawdust Festival with my hippie heart I carry it on and tell people this is art I want you to touch, handle and play with......... I love watching the smiles that sweep over people that play with them, from the very old to the very young alike! |
a special thanks to Kailee McGee & Rich Costales for the editing!!! |