Dallas Morning News
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Local Talent
Wrought with possibilities
by Rita Cook (social contributor)
Polish-American metal artist and designer Izabela Wojcik, 31, says she finds inspiration for her work just about anywhere. Really, the possibilities are endless, and my ideas come from maybe seeing a fixture to sometimes even noticing a funny clasp on a shoe," she says.
Wojcik works for Potter Art Metal Studios in Dallas, designing custom pieces such as chandeliers, gazebos and even staircases, and doing everything except twisting the metal.
"I don't specifically do the metal work, because I would break my arms doing what the guys do here," she says.
She has cultivated her knowledge of metals, taking into consideration not only the beauty of a piece, but also its functionality. When designing a piece in metal, you have to know how the metal will work together and to what extent they can be manipulated," she says.
She starts with paper and pencil and sometimes uses a computer. After her design is completed, company meal artisans forge the pieces.
The Potter studios did the metalwork on many historic homes in the Lakewood neighborhood, as well as light fixtures at Fair Park and White Rock Lake, among other Dallas landmarks. Wojcik, who received a liberal arts degree in 2001, has been with the company since 2005.
She says clients seem to be asking for interior railings, doors, chandeliers and exterior lanterns, usually in wrought iron. She says that's the strongest metal, and also a good choice for cost-conscious homeowners. She says this season's colors are either chocolate rust or natural wrought-iron look.
The most unusual item she's designed since working at Potter would be the Art Nouveau fireplace mantel for developer Trammell Crow.
"Between that first drawing and when the piece was actually completed about six months later, lots of changes were made," she says. The finished piece - 600 pounds of hand-wrought and polished iron - "looked like a piece of museum-quality art for sure."
Pieces for her work range from $800 for a candle wall sconce to $3,750 for a lantern to $18,000 for a bronze table.
She's currently working on a pine-tree interior railing to be made from wrought iron.
"The client for this particular piece is surrounded by pine trees and wanted to bring the outside into their home. The pinecones, needles and tree-branch textures are amazingly realistic; we even made little baby pinecones among the needles," she says.
Wojcik also continues her personal artistic pursuits, creating bronze sculptures, oil and acrylic paintings, pencil drawings and glass art.
"Unless I'm specifically commissioned for a project, I really never have any idea where a piece will take me," she says. "It is not until after the artwork is completed and I have had time to take it in that I can let the feelings come to me and realize what has been put on canvas or molded in clay.
Izabela Wojcik's work is available through Potter Art Metal Studios, 4827 Memphis St., Dallas; 214-821-1419. See samples of her work at www.potterartmetal.com or www.belaart.com