Today I am introducing you to local artist Jerry Peart who has a unique home/office studio in Ashland, VA. Jerry has been a self-employed sculptor for 35 years and for most of that time has worked out of his home, or in some cases has found a home in the corner of his studio. Jerry was born and raised in Arizona, lived and worked in Chicago, IL for over 20 years and most recently moved to Virginia. Jerry works with aluminum and the scale of his pieces range from about 2′ to 39′ (4 stories!) high. In 2001, he renovated the big red barn shown below to become his current studio space.
renovated barn turned studio; photo of working model inside Jerry Peart's studio
I asked Jerry what are some of the things that have allowed him to become so successful working out of a home/office. Jerry explained that over the years he has kept working hours and is typically in his studio at 8 AM and will come “home” at 5 PM. Depending on the season and how warm his wood stove keeps the barn he will often work later hours. One thing that Jerry stressed was that you have to be in the right frame of mind to work. What I found to be most inspiring was when he said, “the benefit of working from home is that I get to get up today and I have a whole new day to succeed and be successful for myself. I really understand what I want to do, I understand myself, and understand the creative process. I know I’ve succeeded because I have done what I set out to do.” Jerry sees life, and work, as an opportunity-not as discipline.
Jerry Peart in his home with Struggle, 2006.
Jerry’s creative process begins with a feeling or a sketch and flows until each piece has a sense of “life.” Jerry tends to gravitate towards fluid, arc-like forms and refers to these forms as his vocabulary of shapes. Each shape is a very deliberate creation. Jerry’s art is fashioned over time and once completed has a living, moving quality. For those questioning the abstract forms, Jerry equates it to music and the process that a musician takes to put notes and chords together to form their masterpiece.
Blue Geisha, 1985 and Angel, 1999. Photos from peartsculpture.com
Check out peartsculpture.com to hear more about Jerry and his work. A collection of his pieces can also be found at LewAllen Comtemporary in Santa Fe-one of the largest galleries in the Southwest.
Thank you Jerry for your time and the tour! It’s wonderful having an uncle who can inspire the artist in me.
I love this article about Jerry as well as all of your others. You are so talented and I’m so jealous of all of you Urban Nesters. This is a wonderful blog and I check every couple of days to catch up on you. I’m proud to share the link with my friends and co-workers. I get to say “Look what my wonderfully talented daughter-in-law does!” Keep it up!
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