Artist Spotlight: Joey Los – Metal Sculpture

Story and Photos by Kim Carr

When I first met juried member Joey Los four years ago, I immediately thought of a free-spirited, tree- hugging, hippie-type artist.  My first impression probably isn’t far off the mark.  For those who know Joey, they know she is high energy, enthusiastic, down to earth, motivated, and she doesn’t know a stranger.  I think it would be safe to say, Joey can conquer and accomplish anything she sets her mind to.

Growing up in Webster Groves, Joey states she was raised a Buddhist and that her family always had artistic and creative folks around their home.  She took her first art classes in the first grade when she studied pottery under her aunt who had a studio and shop in St. Louis.  As a young child, Joey remembers drawing, making mobiles and creating sculptures from trash.  Her mom was very artistic and enjoyed painting.  Her dad sold welding supplies-guess the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

Graduating magna cum laude from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, Joey found herself heading to the Netherlands after she married.  Here she learned to speak Dutch, had her son and studied art for another three years.  She also spent some time in Italy where, in total, she accumulated more than 200 hours in the study of art.  Her studies include everything from fiber arts, basket making, quilting and tapestry.

When asked to describe her art, Joey said it is whimsically realistic, almost iconographic in nature.  She utilizes industrial equipment to create natural scenes.  Many of her sculptures depict wildlife, farm animals and especially birds.  However when looking at her body of work, it’s easy to see that she is inspired by and creates a variety with a multitude of themes.  Currently, Joey is fascinated by the cut-out shapes that are scraps from panels she creates.  While visiting with Joey in her welding shop out in the country just north of Hermann,  she was working on a self-portrait sculpture.  It was being welded together from the scraps of other pieces Joey had created.

Looking around her welding shop, you will find a wide assortment of scrap metal from which she can create. There are boxes of old metal rolling skates, rusted chains of all sizes, enough old horse shoes to open a blacksmith shop and a ton of rods, sheets and what-nots.  One wall is covered with templates or patterns that Joey has cut out of metal.  She stated that she had not been accustomed to saving or making a pattern, but became aware that it could be a big time saver when recreating a piece she really liked.  Initially Joey will draw a pattern from her mind onto a metal sheet with chalk.  She then uses her plasma cutter to cut out the shapes.  She saves the cut out pieces for future free-form sculptures.  Since many of Joey’s pieces are found outdoors, she has started painting them to help protect the sculpture from corrosion.  It also adds another dimension to the work.

Much of Joey’s work is commissioned for installation in public spaces. She has several pieces at the Landmark Bank in Columbia, Mo on Rangeline Street.  You will find her large bird sculptures and water plants in the fountain.  All were made of stainless steel to withstand the wet conditions.  Inside, you will also find many of Joey’s large painted steel birds greeting customers and adding cheer.  More commissioned work can be found at Boone County Hospital, the Episcopal Church on 9th Street and inside the Respect and Responsibility Hall at the University of Missouri on Virginia Avenue…all in Columbia, MO.   You can also find two of Joey’s sculptures on permanent display in the Wildflower Garden at the Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, MO.  Joey is looking forward to participating in the art show at the Shaw Nature Reserve on November 7-9.  It will be the first show she has done in some time.

I asked Joey if it was odd for her to be a female in what I thought to be a male-dominated field.  She didn’t really know of other women doing metal sculpture and admitted that she would like doing more Plein Air painting since it involved a much more pleasant atmosphere. But welding is what she enjoys most. Joey told me that many sculptors come from a welding background and then tap into their artistic side. She, however, started welding as a result of artistic curiosity.  I asked her if there was a metal sculptor who influenced her and she mentioned Alexander Calder whose work can be seen at: http://whitney.org/Collection/AlexanderCalder/6146.   Joey also said that Larry Pogue (http://poguesculpturestudio.com/) and Best of Missouri Hands artist Joseph Farmer (http://www.jbfarmer.com/) have been very helpful over the years.  She has evolved into a very competent welder. Many of Joey’s pieces are highlighted with paint, each is unique, and many are one-of-a-kind.

Bluestem Missouri Crafts in Columbia, MO is the very first place in which Joey sold her work.  She has been with Bluestem (http://www.bluestemmissouricrafts.com/) since 1998 and continues to do very well there.   It was at Bluestem that Joey first learned of The Best of Missouri Hands.  Bluestem is an on-going BOMH corporate sponsor.  Joey feels the benefits of being a member of The BOMH include meeting other artists, networking and the continued inspiration and camaraderie she shares with other members.  Despite all of her college training, Joey states that The Best of Missouri Hands was the first to provide her with any professional training on how to present herself as an artist.

Seven years ago, Joey started showing her work at the Kunstlerhaus Pottery Shop and Art Gallery (www.kunstlerhaus.com) in Hermann along with two partners. The gallery allows area artists to display and exhibit their work in the small, picturesque, historical town.  Well known as a destination for tourists, Hermann is situated in the heart of wine country along the Missouri River. It is here that Joey also teaches an after-school art program for local kids.

When asked if she creates art every day, Joey responded that she tries but confesses that sometimes she gets sidetracked, especially now that it’s gardening season.  Along with her welding studio out in the country, Joey recently moved to the small town of McKittrick where she has relocated her painting studio.  The benefits of moving to McKittrick include living next door to the two Bed and Breakfast rooms she owns called Joey’s Birdhohouse, situated along the Katy Trail (http://www.bikekatytrail.com/joeys-bird-house.aspx).   Joey has plans to start offering her guests the opportunity to be an “artist-for-a-day”.  Those staying at her B&B will have an opportunity to spend a day with her in her welding shop where they will be able to create a their own work of art.  On the other side of the B&B, you will find the Merck, the McKittrick Farmers Mercantile (http://www.themerck.com/), which is open for special events and also provides space for Joey to tape her YouTube cooking show called “Joey’s Experimental Kitchen.” Currently Joey is into exploring fermentation and enjoys cooking with fresh, organic local products.  I would say that Joey is like many artists…she likes to stay busy and enjoys a challenge; hence the fact that she ran for mayor of McKittrick and won!  She is now entering her second term and is looking forward to starting a community garden along with implementing ordinances to help clean up the town.

Plans for the future include taking pottery lessons from Artur Hohl, one of the co-owners of the Kunstlerhaus Gallery, who learned the art of pottery in his native land of Germany before moving to the States.  She is also working with a friend to create a Barefoot Walking Path & Sculpture Garden at Wil Farm just north of Hermann.  The farm currently grows organic produce, offers a pick- your-own strawberry patch, sells fresh eggs from their pasture-raised hens and rents garden plots for those who live in town or don’t have space for a garden.  The Barefoot Walking Path & Sculpture Garden will be modeled after those found in Holland.  Joey would also like to create more art that promotes social causes such as the Missouri River Relief program. (http://www.riverrelief.org/) In the past, Joey has created sculptures from trash pulled from the river.  The sculptures have then been auctioned off to help raise funds for future endeavors by the Missouri River Relief team.  Recently, Joey created a pear sculpture which can be found at Bluestem in Columbia.  She hopes to do a series of fruit and vegetables to raise awareness of local and organic foods.

I asked Joey if she had any words of wisdom to pass onto new artists.  She said the most important thing she could tell someone wanting to do art for a living would be to have Patience, Practice and Perseverance.  She feels these are the three key factors to success.  There is a rule-of-thumb that says you must practice something 1000 times to perfect it.  Joey says she is still practicing.

You can find Joey on her BOMH page at http://www.bestofmissourihands.org/artisans/metal/joeylos/

She also markets her work on her website at: http://www.joeylos.com/index.html  and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Joey-Los-Sculptress/620765568017911?ref=br_tf