August 2006: Shira Loa

Shira Loa translates her fascination with the natural world into works of amazing metal sculptures.  She draws her inspiration from organic images: shells, leaves, branches, cocoons, pods, mushrooms, seedlings and all variety of growth.  In one of her pieces, "Scrap Garden", scrap metal from her studio is transformed into a sea encrusted mussel shell and becomes a metaphor for scrap from the ocean floor.  In another, "Fey Garden", a tiny garden world is created in silver and copper. Loa uses a wide variety of metals in her work: copper, bronze, brass, silver and some steel.  She employs the technique of "Raising" metal, an extremely time consuming and intricate process. The ancient technique uses a variety of different hammers and stakes to stretch, compress and form the metal.  It is a technique of patience, skill and physical endurance as she produces her one of kind treasures.