Muddy Creek Artist: Q & A with James O'Neil

As part of a monthly series on local artists, Edgewater-Davidsonville Patch has teamed up with the Muddy Creek Artists Guild to focus on the arts scene in the area. The guild currently consists of about 100 local artists in mediums including photography, painting, textiles, jewelry, woodwork, metalwork and more. For information on upcoming shows, visit the Muddy Creek Artists Guild website. The guild has two"musts" for their artists: they must live south of the South River, and their art must be original.

This month we interviewed Mayo metal artist James O'Neil. He doesn't have a signature piece or style. He creates crabs of steal, frogs and fish out of copper, wind catchers of copper, and oysters with a polished orb of metal for a pearl.

How long have you been an artist working in the medium: I have been working with metal for about 12 years.

What was your earliest recognition of your talent/skill:  I have always been very interested in and fascinated by metal working, and really by anything constructed of metal. Shortly after I got my first welder as a Christmas gift when I was 15, I realized that metalworking seemed to come very naturally to me.  Pairing that with an extreme desire to create an work with metal, has really helped me excel with in this field.

How did you get started: I began making metal pieces for my mother as Christmas gifts about 8 years ago.   It all began because  most of my money was tied up in an automotive project that I was working on at the time, so i resorted to making metal art pieces as gifts.

Who inspires you: My inspiration comes from those who have positive feedback about my work.

How do you approach a new piece: I usually think about the pieces for a long time before I actually begin working on them.   I like to have the piece thought out to a point where I can vividly imagine how it will look before I begin work on it.  By the time I am working on it, I am usually thinking about the next piece I will do.

What is the range in price for your work: Up to $3500.

Why do you do what you do?  I have always loved metal and working with my hands, I feel that is something that will never change.

Is there anything about this area that you regularly incorporate into your work? Yes, most of my work is centered around the bay and its wildlife.

If you could be another artist for a day, who would it be and why? If I could choose any artist, I think I would pick Ronnie Van Zant from the original Lynryd Skynyrd. As someone who loves music, and has absolutely no musical talent whatsoever,  I really think I would enjoy having the ability to make music.  That to me would be very enjoyable.

What is most rewarding about being an artist? Having the ability to create something that I visualize is very rewarding.

What is most frustrating about being an artist? I find it difficult to label a piece "finished".  It's tough to decide if I have included enough details in my work.