I consider myself an artist at heart, but until recently I have never been an artist by profession.
I used to work in a mechanic’s garage, something that I did not enjoy at all.
I have always been good with machines, and working with metal. In my art I use a lot of metal to make housings, structures, and sculptures. When I got the chance to use my artistic skills in a full-time job I jumped at the chance. It was a big risk, because if it didn’t work out I would be jobless. I went to work for a local high-end HVAC contractor, who catered to the rich end of town. The contractor said he had a growing demand for custom-made metal housing for HVAC components. The trend was that rich folks didn’t want the ugly, blocky HVAC tech where anyone could see it, and were willing to spend big money for custom built coverings. The big adjustment I have to make involves speed, because art takes a long time, but the HVAC industry has no time to spare! When a customer orders a custom HVAC housing, I have roughly three to four weeks to design it, build it, and install it. This is a brutal turnaround time that keeps me working in the HVAC shop until late at night many nights a week. I don’t want to complain, because finally my art is being appreciated, even though I didn’t expect to be working in the medium of HVAC. If you need custom HVAC housing, give me a shout in the comments!