Metal sculptor Scott Cawood has informal approach in studio

Cawood set out to make busts of bluesmen. He developed a technique of building an armature for a head-and-shoulders sculpture, then welding pieces of sheet steel as skin. Rusty, old fuel oil tanks provided sheet metal with skin-like texture. He made three busts and showed visitors during his open studios.

Then he got the commission he's working on now.


"That's what I mean about not getting stuck. I could stay doing my old stuff and sell it all day long. People love it. It's easy. I could make more money doing it. I like it," he said. "But I like it like that," and he pointed to the commissioned statue. "I like it incorporated into the lifelike figures."

Opening a studio to visitors doesn't always lead directly to making money. Sometimes there's just good conversation or a chance to open someone's eyes to art or the expressive possibilities of metal. But that's fine with Cawood.

"I always tell other artists (to host open studios), and they're like,'Yeah,' but they never do it," he said. "But I'm going to do it. You can change the world one person at a time."

If you go ...
WHAT: Open studio
WHEN: Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 2
WHERE: Scott Cawood’s studio, 3829 Harpers Ferry Road, south of Sharpsburg
COST: Free admission
CONTACT: Call 301-432-2131 or go to www.cawoodart.com.