Featured Artist Kurt Wedgley

Artist Kurt Wedgley creates “shaped canvas” art using paint, canvas, wood and steel. Visit his website to see more of his fascinating work.

 

 

I’ve been an artist from since I was about five years old. There was a kid in my neighborhood that drew a picture of a spaceship and showed it to me. I couldn’t believe it! Not the idea of a spaceship with strange pilots in it, but the idea that you could actually draw such a thing—that you could take some crazy idea in your head and put it on paper. And make it look good!

 

 

I began drawing and painting soon after that experience.

 

 

Through the years I dabbled in a number of different art mediums. I entered some contests and won some and lost some. Although I’m a self-taught artist, I remember one of my high school art teachers telling me that I had taught him more than he taught me.

 

 

I went to a total of five high schools. We moved a lot! After I finished high school, I thought I would work towards becoming a science fiction book cover artist or album cover artist. Although I took some night classes at a junior college, I never reached my goal.

 

 

I entered the working world and became really good at working on houses. I could do just about everything—plumbing, electrical, carpentry, you name it. Once in a while I would get a creative job where I got to sculpt or paint something. One job led to building props and sets for television. I did that for a while and was happy with doing that work until the owner got rid of the studio.

 

 

Through the years I have worked with just about every material and technique, building all kinds of crazy things out of my head.

 

 

Art and science are my greatest interests. I am inspired by the innovation and creativity all around me and the beauty and simplicity of nature versus the complicated world of man’s creations. Today, I take all that I have learned in the past and combine that with the new things I learn daily.

 

 

The shaped canvas art that I do now was inspired by a trip to a Frank Stella exhibit. He just blew me away! Before I went on that trip, I was thinking of making shaped canvases because I was bored making square ones. I didn’t know that other artists were doing already doing this. Stella’s work was an epiphany for me.

 

 

Now, I not only shape canvases anyway I desire, but I add other media to them. I have so many ideas! I really like the idea of adding metal to them. I love the contrast between the delicate canvas and the solid steel and how they seem to work together harmoniously.

 

 

I am just beginning this new style but I see a long road ahead of creating these canvases until I can’t anymore. I’m good with that.

 

Artist Kurt Wedgley invites you to follow him on Instagram and Pinterest.

 

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