JASON BRALY 

For me, creating is breathing; part of my survival in this world.  There are few things that bring me as much satisfaction as creating something, whether a simple, wooden box or an elaborate sculpture; I simply love to construct things with my hands; I always have.  It is a language I speak when words are not enough, and one that can be understood by anyone desiring to look at life from a different perspective, through a stronger lens.  I love working with metal.  I love it for its strength, texture and sense of permanence. I love to manipulate it by cutting, heating, bending, pounding and, when I've decided where I want it, welding it into place.  It's like no other medium I've ever worked with.  I usually begin by sketching the overall form, then pick out metal that seems to speak to me, pieces I believe want to be in the sculpture, then attach each piece, one by one, like a puzzle, never knowing what the final outcome will be.  It's really more of a process of discovery.  Whether sculpting a horse, figure or even an abstract piece, I want my work to create a sense of tug of war between  great strength and rigidity vs. movement.  Picasso, Braque and Calder were some of my greatest influences.   My art is an extension of who I am, a tangible, visual expression of me that I know no other way of expressing.  It's part of my soul.