Doyle Wheeler and the art of scavenging

 

Everyday items become handcrafted treasures

 

 

 

 

 

Doyle Wheeler considers himself more of a craftsman and a scavenger than an artist. “I combine art and utility,” he said.

He gets his art supplies at White Elephant and from boxes of things he has collected along the way. His media include shredded money, coffee beans, snakeskin, deer antlers, rare woods, crushed stone, parts of wine barrels, and bullets.

Using a wood lathe, a metal lathe, a drill press and a pressure chamber, Wheeler creates stunning and unique pens, knives and accessories including cuff links and pins.

Wheeler, 34, has always collected things: stamps, pop bottles, hat pins, cards, magazines. “I love to collect stuff, like my grandpa and my dad. And, like my grandfather, I enjoy the idea of collecting with the idea that I will use it some day,” he said, “I may not know why I think it’s great at the time, but when someone makes a request or a commission for a pen or knife, I have always had just the right stuff.”

His grandfather, who Wheeler never knew, was a scavenger who built a house out of scrap lumber that still stands in the Edgecliff neighborhood. “He was a faithful man who supported his family with his creativity,” Wheeler said, “Who I am today is really because of him.”

Wheeler attended Ferris High School and the Spokane Skills Center, where he took auto body classes. He moved forward with a career in the auto collision field at Craig’s Collision Center where he stayed for 15 years. “In that time, I learned the new-school repair, and found that applying old-time technique to a new style of labor twined with a passion was the answer,” he said. He mastered the ability to fabricate and fix solid objects with the notion that “where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

Taking after his father and grandfather, who were both good with their hands, Wheeler began turning wood into pens as a hobby. He purchased the necessary tools and tinkered.

After being hit by a truck in 2008, Wheeler was unable to work. He has made the most of his time. “My wife inspired me to read a stack of magazines she picked up at the library to keep me entertained,” he said. “I was reading Guns and Ammo, pen catalogs, and Field and Stream, and got the idea to make a writing pen out of a spent brass shell casing.” He added a deer antler from his collection of stuff, and he was hooked. Similar to auto body work, the process is long and complicated but the final product elicits a, “No way! You built that?”

Since then, Wheeler has been getting requests and commissions. He has also begun a small business called Ammo-Head Designs. His work is displayed at Devtan Trading Company in NorthTown Mall, the Brocks Gunsmithing on Division, Latah Creek Winery and Townshend Cellars.

On the first Wednesday in June, he will be showing his pieces at Mirabeau Park Hotel during its monthly “First Wednesday” art event.

Trash into treasure - the art of re-purposing

Big things have been happening for a new friend of mine. Doyle Wheeler of Ammo-Head Design has rolled out a brand new logo, a new website and was recently featured in the Spokesman Review Arts section in an article written by Jennifer Larue!

Doyle Wheeler and the art of scavenging

Doyle re-purposes used items and utilizing his amazing craftsmanship turns it into beautiful works of Art. Some examples of his works of art include pens such as the William Maltese Heirloom Fountain pen collection, spent bullet shell pens, wine barrel pens from local wineries like Latah Creek Winery, hydrographics and the list goes on. Where we see junk Doyle envisions something beautiful to be used again.

All of his work draws on his 15 years in the collision repair business and the associated attention to quality and detail he mastered in his work in that industry. Ironically it was a car crash and a debilitating injury from it that led him to becoming a full time artist and he hasn't looked back since.

You can find Doyle's work at Devtan Trading Company in NorthTown Mall, Brock's Gunsmithing, Latah Creek Winery and Townshend Cellars. Don't miss our upcoming event together at Mirabeau Park Hotel June 8th 5:00 - 7:00 P.M. It's the perfect blend of functional art and fine art inspired by our love of the great outdoors. We look forward to seeing you there!

Serendipity and The Little Things

What a crazy word that Serendipity.

http://thesaurus.com/browse/serendipity

Main Entry:	serendipity
Part of Speech:	noun
Definition:	accidental discovery
Synonyms:	blessing, break*, dumb luck, fluke, good luck, happenstance, happy chance, luck, lucky break, stumbling upon, tripping over

Keep that in mind and we'll get back to that in a minute. I decided to take some advice I'd read and do one little thing a day to improve my art business. Instead of getting overwhelmed by the big picture break it up into small pieces, baby steps if you will.

One of my goals is to gain some more collectors locally. I have more collectors around the country than locally because I've not focused enough here in Spokane. Two weeks ago I joined a local networking site called Launchpad Inland Northwest where I met Doyle Wheeler of Ammo-Head design. That one little step outside my comfort zone has already resulted in a positive event.

I'm a little gun shy when it comes to meeting new people so when Doyle invited everybody to come visit him and view his work at the Gallery of THUM I hesitated. The realization dawned on me that in order to succeed you need to get out of your comfort zone and for me that was meeting Doyle. I really wanted to see his art but I hesitated out of fear. I wanted to meet him, I already had a good vibe about him but I still hesitated.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. If you want to succeed sometimes you have to put on the big boy/girl panties and deal with it. So I did. I went to visit Doyle and see his art. His art was amazing and Doyle was even more friendly and personable than I knew he would be. Now remember that word Serendipity. Yes, I never use it either but it's so applicable to my life lately and to that whole situation. I choose to use the synonym of blessing. The whole day was a blessing.

Turns out Doyle had mentioned me to the gallery owner who happened to be looking for a wildlife artist. He introduced us and long story short I learned yesterday that I was juried into the gallery. Serendipity. One tiny action on my part has resulted in one big positive event in my life. As a long time friend likes to say "It's the little things".

It's not just business either. It's the little seemingly insignificant positive actions we take in our lives that lead to big positive things. Bringing your wife a rose once in a while or taking over some household chore occasionally that your spouse dislikes. Taking an hour and throwing the football with your son. Try doing something like that if your not already doing it and see how much better things get. "It's the little things"

It's those little things in business that add up to a long successful career. Maybe throwing in a little extra special something when you ship a painting. Take two little steps beyond what is expected and you will reap huge rewards down the road. Do those little things, be proactive and change your mindset to one of positive and success. You'll find your life becomes full of serendipity.