A woman in Columbia recently bought five of Smithy's creations to give as gifts. Since the first metal couple was created eight years ago, the former truck driver has made more than 100 figures, expanding his creative repertoire to include animals, robots cowboys, American Indians and other figures. There is no formula to what materials or objects Smithy uses in his art. Though he has never had any formal art training, he has the imagination and ability to take an everyday object and turn it into a seamless yet unexpected part of another. Old-fashioned radiators have become the bodies of robots under Smithy's care.
Old yard rakes become a set of hands, then a shirt collar or strands of electrified hair.
A rusted shovel spoon looks perfectly suited to become the body and wings of a wide-eyed bird with two clamp feet. The hair of a frazzled-looking man once belonged inside a water heater. I draw things out on paper sometimes. Other times I just look at a piece and change it as I go along. Smithy's art attracts people of all ages.