Buzz Leighton, Sculptor

MY PROCESS
I combine recycled steel, bronze and copper along with other elements that I find. Each piece is cut, forged, melted and welded one creation at a time. An oxygen/acetylene torch melts the steel and bronze together as the metal sculpture is shaped. A base is created out of hand-fired wood or objects found in nature. A unique one-of-a-kind sculpture is born.

MY IMPRESSIONS
My style is derived from my impressions of nature. A new piece takes shape when I am inspired by something I see and experience in the great outdoors. My work of Merganser, Moose, Dragonfly, Fox and Fish are a reflection of my love for the north shore of Lake Superior, where I have spent many years exploring the shoreline and back woods. Each piece starts out as a one-dimensional sketch—and by combining fire, metal and imagination, ends up having its own distinctive personality.

MY INSPIRATION
As a young boy, I spent hours exploring the Bird Sanctuary at Lake Harriet in Minneapolis, where I spent time catching frogs and tadpoles, observing the movements of birds, and listening to the sounds of the wild. It’s where my initial passion for nature was ignited. After watching my Uncle Art build a huge swing set and monkey bars by welding it together; I decided to teach myself how to weld and got scrap metal from a junk yard in downtown Minneapolis—created a steel bird­—and I was on my way to becoming a Sculptor.