The urge to create and discover potential in material has been in Ben Bridwell all his life. He discovered metal art when he worked as a welder at a swimming pool company. He watched hot, molten metal drip to the ground and decided to use his welding skills for more than swimming pool frames. He began making small dragonfly yard ornaments and immediately noticed a demand for his work. Bridwell has made large, contemporary pieces, such as a striking aluminum and glass table for Dinnerworks and two Gallopalooza horses. His most recent horse — “Roofs-n-Hoofs” — was honored with a merit award, and he also won a red ribbon in the Kentucky State Fair.
“I’ve always had this constant need to express myself and be creative,” he says. “I’m like the nervous kid who keeps tapping his pencil on the table. If I don’t do anything, I’ll go crazy. I just have to create.”
