Metalsmith BenchTalk on BlogTalkRadio with Chris Bridgland

My guest on the Thursday, November 4th, 2010 program at 3PM Pacific/6PM Eastern is sculptor, artist and metalsmith Chris Bridgland. Chris hails from 'down-under' and is just wrapping up a six month 'four corners' Kerouac-esque tour of the US on a BMW bike, with his wife and partner Wanda. Chris hit an amazing number of artists along the way. The 'manifest list' can be viewed via the 'Sandbox Mailing List ~ Members Web Sites;, here: http://prairieartmetal.com/url/index.html, also see Chris' blog here: http://motorcyclingaroundusa.blogspot.com/. His bio reads: Chris Bridgland is a self taught sculptor, artist and blacksmith. He was born in Adelaide, Australia but now lives and works in Canberra. He began crafting small torsos from recycled car bodies in the mid 1990's, and has since expanded his range of subjects and media. He took up blacksmithing in 2004. While working with steel is his main focus, Chris has worked with other metals, wood, clay, mixed media, wearable art and digital imaging. Chris has been a member of the Belconnen Artists Network (BeAN) since its inception in 1999 and has participated in most of their group exhibitions. He had a two-man show Sirens at the Belconnen Gallery in 2001 with photographer Malcolm Smith. Chris and his wife Wanda own a small studio/gallery at Burrill Lake, at which they have held group exhibitions as part of the Milton-Ulladulla Escape Art-fest since 2004. With the help of a grant from ArtsACT in 2001, Chris started a website, COLA, to display the work of artists in the Canberra region and provide information about galleries and artists suppliers. Chris actively participates in an international online metal sculptors forum ("The sandbox") and travelled to the US in 2006, 2008 and 2009 to participate in the group's Shindig. He has undertaken commissions for clients in the USA and Australia, and his work is widely held in private collections. For complete info, see: http://www.chrisbridgland.id.au/index.htm Join us!