Richard Cooley

I have the nickname “Sparkplug Man” in the art and fine craft world. You can see that almost every sculpture contains a spark plug. I am the creator of each of the sculptures. All of the metal sculptures are out of my imagination.

I have been creating metal sculptures for approximately 25 years. The seed for my creative endeavor was planted when I took a welding course at a local technical college. One of our assignments was to take old parts and make something creative out of them. O made a 4 foot rose and have been trying in hand at metal sculpture ever since. I have worked as a welder in an industrial environment for many years. I am now a full time artist and enjoy it immensely.

Each sculpture is created using what most people call “junk.” I find most of the materials that inspire me at recycling centers, salvage yards, thrift stores and garage sales. I have several automobile, motor cycle and small engine shops save used sparkplugs for me. I use many different items that we use in our everyday lives. Some of those items include old items that we use in our everyday lives. Some of those items include old irons, roller skates, toasters, bullet casings, hammer heads, kitchen utensils and hardware items. I look at these items and find that they can be used to reflect life in a whimsical way. If you look closely at the sculptures you will recognize many of the parts.

Every sculpture is a unique, one of a kind original because the assembly depends on the parts that I have on hand. I never have the exact same parts twice. I often dismantle the items and those parts may be used in several different sculptures. The sculptures are assembled using a MIG Welder and Brazing. I also use a cutting torch to make up bases or bend the metal rods that are used for arms and legs for the human and animal forms. The sculptures are cleaned and sprayed with a clear lacquer spray. Have fun, USE YOUR IMAGINATION, look at my metal sculptures and see if you can find some items you recognize and marvel at how the pieces reflect life!