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Artist's Bio
| Lee Ring has a fascination with molten materials. It began with his work in foundries. Ten years of casting experience honed his abilities as a pattern maker and master molder, and led him to prototype and reproduction work. In fact, Lee is noted as a Maine Master Craftsman by the Portland Stove Foundry, significantly for the stoves in the Master Crafted Signature series created in 1977.In 1978, Lee and his family moved to a small farm in East Fryeburg where he developed his own foundry - only this time he wasn’t casting stoves. Ooomingmak Foundry & Glass Studio gave Lee the chance to experiment with molten materials and create |
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| pieces unlike any he had produced before. His knowledge of metals and experience as an engraver and machinist incontestably affected his artwork, but the end product was vastly different.
Bronze, brass, glass, and sometimes aluminum and iron have found their form in everything from flowers to animal skulls. It’s difficult to image a dandelion or a jack-in-the-pulpit cast in bronze, but the reality of it is exquisite. A strawberry cast in glass with a bronze hull is treasure-like. “My work reflects inner feelings and the natural world surrounding me....Nature furnishes the material through which the simplicity and elegance of form emerges,” says Lee of his art. No where is this more evident than in his series of crystal animal skulls entitled “After the Spirit’s Gone.” Resulting from a glass casting process using the lost |
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wax method, Lee has created a series of sculptures that are like gems in their ability to emit light from a source deep within.
Even an artist doesn’t have the luxury of solely pursuing his passion when it comes to work. As with any business, there are practical considerations that must be taken into account. In Lee’s case, building his own kilns and foundries has not only saved him money, but it has given him control over the building process. Also, not every piece to come out of the kiln can have a high price tag–there has to be a “bread and butter” line to lend consistency to the mix, hence, a collection of glass ornaments produced by blowing molten glass into a bronze mold.
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juried member of League of New Hampshire Craftsmen for his glass and metal. Education is an ongoing process, and Lee has furthered his through courses at Maine College of Art, Haystack School of Crafts, and the New Hampshire League of Craftsmen. He also continues to experiment with new techniques and methods in his own foundry.
Ooomingmak Foundry & Glass Studio is open by appointment;
call: 207-935-3601 |
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