Artists: Joe Wayne

Originally from Whitefish, Montana, Joe studied art in college and then relocated to Livingston and began working in a local bronze foundry. “I went from studying art in college directly to the production line as a welder, metalworker, and patina artist. I've realized that my years in the foundry were a paid education to build from, gaining a thorough understanding of the casting process.”

It was not long after that Joe began a quest for the deeper side and understanding of art, going beyond what the craftsman knows and beyond what he learned in college. He became more conscious of and intrigued by the abstract, unequal balances, dynamic composition, and contrasting values and colors. “If I'm painting or sculpting, I prefer to work from nature, whether it's a model, still life, or landscape. I feel it helps in capturing the individual personality of the subject. I strive to produce an image of aesthetic expression as it passes through the filter of creativity, allowing it to become something that reflects the subject while making it my own.” Being inspired by nature and what the masters and some contemporaries have accomplished fuels my desire to paint and sculpt.