A Slight Detour

Written By John Garloff

Life is full of surprises, good and bad! At age fiftyseven, I am still passionate about pursuing a path of metal artistry in lighting but needed to take a slight detour with a job at Harry & David. The working requirement is a swing shift in their warehouse as a merchandise handler and receiver from 3:00 to 11:00 PM. I do like the job and people there and the paychecks help to fuel my creative endeavor. The physical activity at work is allowing my body to get back into shape once again, reuniting me with a phase of self from years past. Now it’s a matter of finding balance between a job and my creative pursuit. Time and energy are my two shortages along with redefining what I want to create.

Recently, a shipment of an English Wheel arrived at the shop. This new addition is only part of a new series of tools for working with sheet metal. What a heavy beast of a tool! The upper body is made from cast iron and weighs about 300 pounds. I had no success after making several calls to get my hands on a cherry picker, a tool used to hoist engines or other heavy objects. I looked around my shop and things started to click! I used various ladders and other materials to help distribute weight and came up with my own hoist.

There’s definitely a learning curve to this new path of metal shaping. Some of the other tools have already been put to use with our patio makeover in 2021. All the copper was folded and shaped via the pan brake. The patio gate design was done with my new pan brake and bead roller. YouTube has been a great way to get reinspired with new ideas from watching autobody specialists shaping sheet metal. This seems to be my new creative pathway for building lamps.

John Garloff

John Garloff

Artist in Metal Illumination

I’m in a phase of life at age 60, a recovered alcoholic/drug addict with 34 years sobriety, and with little formal education, have found a great deal of wisdom from past years of life through its challenges, freedoms, and triumphs.

Working with metal, developing and creating illuminated sculptures instills a sense of purpose and healing of childhood trauma from a mom, intent on committing suicide and then succeeding when I was eleven.

There’s something exceedingly special that happens in the shop when designing and creating that inspires, soothes and heals my spirit. I have been learning, researching and buying specific tools for my artistic endeavor since 2009. For the past few years, I have been pursuing galleries but have been declined by many because they didn’t see me as an artist, only a “craftsman”. This has lit a fire and gives me the determination to change this perception.

In January, my wife and I collaborated on an art showcase that yielded a great response and recognition validating me as an artist. My ambition and dream is to push the lamp designs far beyond anything imaginable.

Each piece is a great learning experience filled with complexity and development. It’s all about appealing to your sense of touch, sound and the visual aesthetics. Some of my latest added tools into the shop are a welder, English wheel and bead roller. I’m encouraged to include further new tools that will enhance the many traditional hand tools from some of the old timers I have encountered along the way.

The Tea House, a pagoda style design was created from galvanized sheet metal with embossed flower stems on the bead roller. This was the first item sold at my recent art showcase that incorporated several techniques used in the autobody industry.

This entire experience allows me to grow into becoming the best version of self and move forward as a progressive artist with confidence. My style is a fusion of inspirations including industrial and the influential godfather of steampunk, Jules Verne, French novelist and poet.

I am motivated to express and share my art through gratitude for love and life, connection with people, the planet, and its beauty.

https://www.jgarloffdesign.com/
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