WELDED TO HIS ART by Keni Woodruff

To Bill Ruck, Lawrenceville, GA resident, art is a living, breathing entity, a creature that lives in his heart, mind and hands and expresses itself in a multitude of mediums, from paper to metal, from canvas to clay. Right now, welding is his passion, and his fanciful creations range from delicate flowers to mythical monsters. A fierce purple dragon guards his mailbox, while a giant tortoise munches calmly near the trees which edge his home, tender green leaves growing through its wire mesh shell. A 3-ft bee made of a huge spring with wire mesh wings “flits” gracefully nearby.

His welding “shop” has turned from hobby to business (Metal Nature), and occupies his brightly lit two car garage, where he and his fellow artisans share his creative energy, using scrap metal, found, purchased at local scrap yards and auto repair shops, or donated by fascinated neighbors and friends.

A multi-media art teacher, Bill, works as an activity director at Tender Living Care, an adult day care center for people with memory issues. Prior to this, Bill worked for an adult day care center for people with disabilities. “One of my most satisfying teaching experiences was helping 3 blind students to paint. It took some thought,” he says. “Finally, I tried mixing different perfumes and aromatics into their paints so they could smell the different colors and I used sandpaper instead of canvasses so they could feel the surface and space their work. The results were amazing, and so gratifying.

“I’ve only been doing metal creations for a couple of years,” he says. “Prior to that, I expressed my creativity in more traditional mediums – oils and watercolor, but I was always experimenting…shells, feathers, clay, rocks, whatever I found. When I finished my schooling, I worked in various metal shops where I learned to weld and, using my talent with paints, became adept at faux finishing. I did this for years. I was also an art teacher, a nanny, and a stay-at-home dad to my own kids, teaching art in my spare time.”

A man of many interests and talents, Bill is also an ordained minister. “I was deeply interested in theology, and on a whim, decided to become a minister.“ That whim became a true vocation, and while he does not take the altar of his Universal Life Church, Bill has performed numerous weddings, naming’s and funerals. “This has become a very basic part of my life,” he noted. “I spend time with a couple before their marriage and regularly provide counselling to individuals and families. To me, ‘church’ is the woods, nature, very meaningful, integral to my life, giving me spiritual and creative balance.”

During the height of the Covid caused isolation, he taught kids art online. “This reinforced my belief and trust in people, and I’ve never been hurt or disappointed.”

He believes that art is like ‘mad science’, a personal and emotional experience. “It’s an experiment. There’s good art and bad art – if you enjoy something, it’s good art…if not, then it’s bad art. Personally, I don’t follow rules. I mix water-based paint with oils (a no-no, they say)…it works, gives interesting depth and dimension to a painting. I blend people, too, often with surprising results. For years, I was pretty separated from my father,” he said thoughtfully. “But when he was recovering from a stroke, I brought paints, brushes and canvas to his bedside and helped him rehabilitate. We became close. I’m glad I could use my strength to help him regain his.”

Back to welding…Ruck has three people in his core group, and others come in and out to learn to weld and watch them work. How does he create his unique creatures? “We get an idea of what we’d like to make, draw a chalk sketch on the floor, and arrange pieces of metal to fit…often the pieces speak to me and I go from there. We find interesting objects here and there or raid our scrap closet. We often use stainless steel table ware for body parts…knives, forks, spoons. We use torches to produce color. It can take from a few hours to a day or so to create a finished piece.

“My first piece was a skeleton, which is now on permanent display in Decatur. We used springs for the spine and ribs, a variety of bolts for vertebrae.” Another, an eagle with widespread wings, constructed with stainless steel silverware, was purchased by a Lawrenceville resident and now welcomes their guests.

“Right now we’re working on a dragonfly. It’s made of dulled-down machetes. We removed the handles, and we’re using wire screening for wings. It will be beautiful when it’s done.”

Yes, Mr. Ruck sells his creations. You can reach him at: 678-907-8157. Perhaps you, too, can cherish one of his fanciful creatures.