Scrap Metal Transformed: One Man’s Journey

Davis said that inspiration for his pieces comes from his Celtic roots, yoga practice and love of nature, as well as appreciation for Native American culture. He said his yoga teacher suggested he create a project around the ancient Hindu deity Ganesh or “remover of obstacles,” and the project became a 3.5-year journey through challenges he was navigating in his personal life at the time.

Professor Michael Horswill, a sculpture instructor at NIC and local public artist, contributed to the opening presentation he attended along with his art students. Horswill encouraged students to take a lot of classes and learn to use various tools and materials.

“Lack of knowledge limits what’s possible," Horswill said. "School is an opportunity to try all the tools and not buy things yourself."

Davis told the story of when his sculpture, “The Great Blue Heron,” was stolen from its location in front of a restaurant in Coeur d’Alene. He said the owner called him up, devastated, the morning she and her husband came to work and discovered it missing.

“Mr. Blue,” as he is affectionately called, was returned a few months later to the delight of the restaurant owners and community, and remains standing on the corner of Third and Lakeside as part of the Coeur d’Alene community public art collection.

Davis lives on the Spokane River and has a studio in Coeur d'Alene. His latest creation, "Evolution by Monsanto," is a collaborative work with Hank Chiappetta on display at Spokane City Hall. 

"I hope when people look at my pieces they see the creative power that can come from sculpting industrial hardware and metal stock into art," Davis said.