Beautifully Sculptured Metal Artwork, Accessories, & Furniture
_____________________________________________________________
Jason Wood
The J Wood Story begins as a young boy inspired by older brothers and a father who could build or fix anything. It started with pencil drawings I saw my brothers creating. I was intrigued with the fact that they were able to create something from a blank sheet. In high school, art class was the only subject offered that held my interest. Most of my time there was spent working on wall murals or using my paint brush as a hall pass to skip the less interesting classes. Everyone, especially my mother, tried to convince me to pursue something that included art as a career. Being a stubborn young man with an immediate need for more things in life I joined the work force.
After working a few different jobs I started work for a small manufacturer of masonry tools as a production welder. There was a small machine shop in which they designed and prototyped tools and fixtures. This piqued my interest, as they too were creating something from a blank sheet. After a few years I had moved to be closer to family and took a job with a sheet metal shop. Not finding my niche in the production world of roof vents and flashing I moved on to a rather large industrial shop as an entry level welder hoping to get into the machine shop. After a short time in the welding department I signed up and attended machine shop classes at the local vocational school. The lead machinist in the shop I worked for was the instructor. With his help at school and work both I was able to advance quickly into a lead machinist and manager position. After a few years this was no longer enough and I gained an interest in AutoCAD’s computer assisted drawing programs and returned to Vocational School for classes. Within a couple of months I was converting a lot of my current employer’s old hand drawings to modern media. This job was a huge lesson in all sorts of metal working. The owner was kind enough to let me work on some side projects here and there so I was able to create things I wanted or needed but could not afford otherwise.
Twelve years later it led to an opportunity in an all aluminum fabrication shop with a need for a Fabricator/Machinist with AutoCAD knowledge and willing to learn and run a CNC router. This job required all the skills I strived to acquire, it seemed this job had been created for me. This was too good to pass up and after a few months I was running the CNC machine for production parts and was assisting the owner in research and development for product development through AutoCAD and actual prototyping. Once again I was able to design and build some fun stuff for myself. And again I desired more knowledge in metal working so I went back to vocational school. This time it would be for welding. I wanted to hone my skills and learn to tig weld like the guys that were throwing down some really nice welds in the shop. As time progressed I was responsible for designing and building custom towers for mounting marine electronics as a part of my job.
I think this is where I started to realize I wanted to be building things with more art and creativity involved. With a move to North Metro Atlanta to be with my wife’s family and escape hurricane season in South West Florida, I’ve discovered many local art galleries and have been consuming all my time researching metal art and attending as many art festivals and showings as possible. This is where I realized that I should put all of my energy and knowledge into becoming someone who is truly happy at work and become a metal artist who can create from a blank sheet something that is fun, creative and pleasing to the senses. I hope you enjoy and have as much fun looking at my work as I have building it.
Jay Wood
Speak to the Artist Personally
If there are any specific projects you would like to commission please feel free to contact me through the contacts page. (There isnt anything we cant design or build)
