Peter Skidd Fine Art

Painting a 6 foot "bowl"

2012-01-17T17:28:00.000-08:00

This is a big piece so I started working on it outside my booth at the Scottsdale show. I'm moving it into position for putting on the first few layers of paint.

Scottsdale Art Show 2012 Begins

2012-01-14T09:44:00.000-08:00

I've built the booth, hung the art and I'm working & showing at the Scottsdale Celebration of Fine Art each day through March 25, 2012.
http://www.celebrateart.com/

Hospital Lobby From Mockup to Installation

2011-03-08T10:49:00.000-08:00

Hospital Installation Finalized

2011-03-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

Hospital Lobby Art Installation

2011-03-03T15:49:00.000-08:00

Phoenix Magazine at My Workshop

2011-02-19T08:25:00.000-08:00

Phoenix Magazine Article

Artist Hideaway

Author: Dolores Tropiano

Issue: March, 2011, Page 42

Photos by Brian Goddard

Larry Greene

A nascent art community has formed in south Scottsdale, turning an old lumberyard into a den of creativity.
In New York City in the 1960s, artists migrated to cheap warehouses in SoHo to set up studios. A similar scene, albeit on a smaller scale, is evolving at a lumberyard in south Scottsdale.

From Thomas Road, the “Ponderosa Lumber Co.” sign offers no clue that a nascent art compound is buzzing on the back lot of this historic Scottsdale property. But just past the piles of wood, windows and discarded aluminum scrap near 64th Street, nearly 20 artists and craftspeople are making everything from metal art to meaningful wood carvings in large, warehouse-style spaces with roll-down doors that rent for $500 to $700 a month.

The smells of paint, stains and freshly sawed wood fill the air where these creative types are content to have escaped the cramped cubicles of corporate life. They work like people who have never lost their passion for play.

The sounds of sawing, sanding and drills emerge from industrial spaces, competing with classical music blasting from Dominic Ferrara’s studio. The Phoenix resident makes finely crafted architectural wood furniture and designs. “It’s a strange, wonderful cacophony of sounds,” says Ferrara, 63, a former New York set builder for film and television who helped create the hidden artistic community at 6425 E. Thomas Road.

“I encouraged the landlord to bring in creative people,” says Ferrara, a tenant for 17 years. “It’s so cool. I had the same situation in Brooklyn. It’s good for artists to be around each other to exchange ideas. We all speak the same aesthetic language.”

Dominic Ferrara

Nearby is Peter Skidd Fine Art Metal, represented by LKG Contemporary gallery in Old Town Scottsdale and the Renee Taylor Gallery in Sedona’s Tlaquepaque Village. When Skidd, 34, isn’t creating contemporary steel sculptures, he scoots around in a custom-made cart, building a rapport with other artists.

The Scottsdale resident discovered his studio two years ago on Craigslist. “It is where the nitty gritty happens,” says Skidd, who is surrounded by his artistic toys: a welder, generator, plasma cutter and more.

Ponderosa Lumber Co. (formerly McFarland Lumber) was purchased by A.C. Mason in 1965. The 3-acre property originally housed a hardware and door shop, as well as the lumberyard. When a recession hit in the early ’90s, only Ponderosa Lumber Co. survived, and the back area was rented out.

“Rents were affordable, and it just so happened that everyone we rented to was an artist or craftsman,” says Joe Bushard, 31, of Phoenix, who helps manage the property. “They all work together back there.”

Larry Greene, 41, of CODA Furniture Design and Fabrication, has had opportunities to leave the lumberyard, but he says the synergy and community is not something that would be easy to duplicate elsewhere.

“People come by the shop during the day and see what I’m working on, and I go by their shop and see what they’re doing. It’s a pretty cool place to work,” says the Scottsdale resident. “I could never find another place like this if I moved.”

The public can visit the artist space, but call ahead (480-656-4600) since hours vary. There was no vacancy for aspiring tenants at press time, but as proof that this creative space works, Skidd’s creations will be on display at the Celebration of Fine Art event in north Scottsdale through March 27.

Painting completed

2011-02-18T07:58:00.000-08:00

Next step - spraying the final clear coat, heating them up to cure the spray and shipping them off.

Hospital project progress

2011-02-09T10:41:00.000-08:00

Because of the scale of the project, I have to map out the tree using my sketch before I can paint.

TV Interview

2011-02-05T07:06:00.000-08:00

A local TV station came to the Celebration of Fine Art and asked me about my technique. I'm at the Celebration in North Scottsdale through March 27th.

Scottsdale Art Show website
PeterSkidd.com

Hospital Project

2011-02-04T08:15:00.000-08:00

First I built a mock-up of the hospital lobby.

These things are heavy!

Getting ready to paint.

I'm finishing up a hospital commission which includes three 11.5' waves and flying birds.

Finishing Touches

2011-02-02T07:15:00.000-08:00

Final step: removing the protective paper & tape

Before I am ready to display a piece, I apply a coat of paint to the back of the work. I tape off the front while painting the back so that the front is not disturbed.

Recent Installation

2011-01-31T07:30:00.000-08:00

I installed this 9' piece last week.

My son the Artist

2011-01-29T08:40:00.000-08:00

Here is my son's depiction of his father at work painting a steel wave in front of an elaborate window.

Building a gallery/studio

2011-01-10T14:36:00.000-08:00

Beginning Stages

Finishing Up

With help from family and friends the set up for my studio at the 2011 Celebration of Fine Art is going quickly.

At this art show, a group of 100 artists start the week with bare walls and concrete floor. We enhance our space with carpet, drywall, paint, moldings, furniture and finally art to make 100 individual working studio galleries.

We will be painting away in our studio/galleries at the Celebration of Fine Art each day through March 27th.

Custom Piece in the Making

2010-07-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

This piece is designed to be embedded into new wall construction.

Arizona Diamondbacks

2010-07-03T12:48:00.000-07:00

I installed this piece for Chris Young of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was kind enough to pose for a photo. This piece is called "Fireburst" and measures 48" x 65.5" x 8.5".

How I make waves

2010-05-12T13:25:00.000-07:00

How does a steel artist go about moving mountains and making waves? I haven't done the moving mountains thing yet but I do make waves. Quite literally - my waves are one of my top sellers and I have some beloved tools that help me sweet-talk the rigid steel into compliance with my designs.

This here is a plasma cutter. It's job is to cut through the steel like butta. The plasma cutter allows me to remove whatever shape I want from the original 10' sheet of steel. I love this part. My wife doesn't.

Then comes the ups and downs with my roller. How many, how deep, how far apart...all customizable.

And some more rolling.

So here we are with the cutting & rolling completed.

The steel I order comes with a thick black oil layer which I clean off before I can use this grinder. This step is part of the final design. I grind patterns into the steel and those allow the light to radiate through and bounce off the final piece giving incredible depth to the artwork.

We're missing photos of cutting and welding the steel bar to make a frame for the back of the wave. It makes the wave stable and is the means to hang the final product. I am obsessed with detail when it comes to my art so to give the piece a finished look I even paint the back.

Next comes more cleaning and some spraying and then finally the painting - then more spraying and drying and that's it! Like I've said, anyone can do it.

Many steps forward & one step back

2010-05-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

So the good news is that I've finally moved into my new, expanded work space. The bad news is I broke my fantastic new shear while moving it.

Bronze Coast Gallery on the Oregon Coast now represents my work. I shipped worked there in time for a weekend show and it was a success!

My Sedona representation, Renee Taylor Gallery, just started a Facebook page and you can see photos of us with my work.

I was invited back to my Scottsdale tent show, Celebration of Fine Art for January - March 2011. It seems so far off but I start building my inventory of new designs now.

Settling in

2010-04-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

Now that I've taken down my booth at the Celebration of Fine Art I can begin to focus on designing new pieces, stocking my galleries and organizing my workshop. I am thrilled to have acquired an industrial metal shear recently but now I have to find space for it. I'm thinking about doubling my shop size to allow for more breathing room and quicker fabrication.

Did you see the article on me in the Scottsdale Republic? It's the story of my career in a nutshell. I've posted it under "Media" on my website.