In the Garden With Metalwork Artist Jon Watson

Artist Jon Watson came into his metalworkof course, a natural compound that can handle your
profession as a result of collaborating his love ofweather year-round with little maintenance.
metal sculpture and the natural, organic world ofBut metal gardens, Jon? Yup. Because he really likes
plants and gardens.the look of metal sculpture. And it works. Jon's art is
That's because decades of sitting at a desk in frontsold all over the U.S. Think about it: anyone brave
of a computer can make you think. About a lot ofenough to walk away from a desk job to make
things. Like gardening. Nature. Organic living. About themetal art can probably do pretty much whatever he
overgrown, rich rural plantlife of your childhood inwants successfully!
Georgia, and your current view of mostly-brownHe hand crafts each of his designs in his eclectic
Arizona. And think about how your life got to thiscollection of metal art. His line of lighting fixtures -
point.from a handmade steel funky lamp to swirling and
Makes some folks do crazy things. Like walk awayflaming wall sconces and on to a fabulous upscale
from their careers to learn something new - liketable lamp - is truly an enlightening experience in the
welding. Artist Jon Watson walked away from 20world of natural creativity. You can immediately see
years in marketing . . . to learn to weld. He took athe influence of nature, gardens and plants in each of
year off to train under a professional welder, andhis works.
then did an unpaid internship with an industrial weldingJon's home now, out of the office and into his
company before finally striking out on his own.shop-garden. His title isn't corporate anymore, but a
Pretty crazy. Jon admits it was really scary - probablysimpler one he's donned himself: the gardener. Just
the biggest gamble he ever took. But it worked. Eachthink of Jon, happier than he's ever been, puttering
of Jon's pieces feels natural, organic, a part of youraround his shop, welding instead of weeding, trimming
deepest inner self. And keeping with the gardeningand pruning his steel work before he sets it out for
nature theme, all his work is made of welded steel,you to enjoy.