Art gallery and nautical gifts for the serious fisherman
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Don Ray Internet Studio Art gallery and nautical gifts for the serious fisherman | ||||||
Eric Kraft
Artist-Sculptor
Copperworks
Click see Eric Kraft and Copperworks and SHOP! <click here
About the Artist
Eric Kraft began making copper
sculpture in 1974. He had always
loved art and was
fortunate enough to
spend a portion of one high school summer
training under
renowned master copper sculptor Kevin Jenkins.
Most of Eric’s early works were abstracts and wall-hangings that he
sold for spending
money during his high
school and college years.
For the next 17 years, the artwork
went on the back burner and pieces
were produced
very sporadically as he pursued a
career in the automotive world. In
the late ‘90s, Eric took a small section of his
outdoor
workshop and converted
it for returning to metal sculpture in earnest.
His years of sport
fishing and scuba
diving in Southeast Florida had given
him a keen appreciation for
the sea and marine wildlife.
It was only natural that
he should begin his
copper sculpture career
again doing marine game fish and Florida lighthouses.
Currently, in
addition to doing copper sculpture, Eric and his two
brothers
own and operate a Mercedes-Benz, Buick and
Jeep dealership in
Gainesville, Florida.
He is married
and has two children. His
11-year-old son, Lee is also a
budding
copper sculptor in his own right.
About the Sculpture
Most of Eric’s work is done in
sheet copper and sheet brass. The
flat sheet is hand
or plasma cut to shape,
cold-hammered and silver-soldered
into the beautiful and
colorful fish and sea creatures you see here.
Then, each piece is treated to a beautiful
heat-patina of reds, greens,
blues and gold's approximating the
markings found on
the real fish. Finally, every sculpture is given a durable clear lacquer finish to
protect
the
coloration. Eric prefers
to sculpt his sea life in a representation of their marine
environment and imbued
with
a sense of movement – consequently, flats- and
reef-dwelling creatures
are generally portrayed as they move
through their
environment with copper
corals, grasses, tubeworms or mangroves.
Pelagic
sport fish, such as
sailfish and mahi-mahi, are usually mounted on
Florida coral lime rock chunks, giving an illusion of the boiling
sea as these
powerful animals
leap clear of the waves.
Each piece
is an individual work of art, and produced to
order. No two pieces are identical.
When
ordering sculpture, please allow two to three weeks for Eric to produce
the
piece
and be aware that your piece will probably look somewhat different from
the one in the
photograph due
to differences in bases, coloring, etc.
Also, if you have a favorite fish,
sea creature or lighthouse that you do
not
see here, Eric is happy to give quotes
based on size, species and pose
desired. Almost all of these fish
and
lighthouses
can also be produced as very nice 3-dimensional wall-hangings.
Largemouth Bass
Boca Grande Lighthouse
St Augustine Lighthouse
If you don't see what you would like, we can ask Eric if he will make it for you
Go see Eric Kraft and Copperworks and SHOP! <click here
for more information and to place an offline order call 800 355 4927