2 Bubbles in the Seaweed trellises, reclaimed materials, 6’Hx2’W
Copper Whirling Orb, 29″Wx45″H
SMALL SCALE
Sprig Bundle with Red and Blue Flowers, 30″Lx10″W
Songbird on Willow Branch, 24″Hx5″W
Poppies with stainless steel, 3′-6’H
CLIENT PHOTOS & DELIVERIES
Lotus Orb, 4’Hx29″W
This Stainless Whirling Orb is set in a side yard rock garden.
Planetary set in a lush landscape by the front door.
A creative client tuned this Yarn Orb into a fire pit. What a great idea!
SQ Monolith, 5’Hx16″W
WORK IN THE COMMUNITY
ASSOCIATION OF LANDSCAPE DESIGNERS TOUR, June 21st. Seven Portland area private gardens were available for viewing on a self guided tour. I had the pleasure of placing work throughout the gorgeous landscape of one of the homes. Thank you to the Smith’s and Elida from All Oregon Landscaping!
Orb Tower, 3′-7’H Association Of Landscape Designers Tour 2019
Raised Beds, 12″x12″
Yarn Orbs, 10″-28″W Association Of Landscape Designers Tour 2019
PORTLAND MODERN HOME TOUR, June 1st. I built this piece for a client as their home was being remodeled by M.O. Daby Designs. It’s mounted in the cavity of a pocket door and is visible when the door is closed. This home was among the 8 included on the tour.
Bamboo Forest – laser cut design detail
Bamboo Forest – laser cut design set in recess of pocket door- 95″H x 32″W
FULL HOUSE FOR CAREER DAY. Thanks to the 8th graders from Bridger Elementary School who stopped by WatershedPDX to see the space. They had the chance to talk with several artists and other small business owners. It was a pleasure to meet them all and share my story with them.
ARTISTIC PORTLAND I’ve exhibited with this co-op for three years and am so proud to work with these 40+ fabulous artists. I’ll be doing a demonstration with several other artists 11-4PM as part of the day time festivities. Stop by for cake and celebrate with us. There is so much planned.
DANGER GARDEN I’m so grateful to have my work mentioned in Loree’s web blog. I had the pleasure of meeting her at Cracked Pots last year where she picked up one of my Condo Planters. What a delight. Thank you!
SHOW SCHEDULE 2019
MULTNOMAH ART CENTER GALLERY Pacific Northwest Sculptors present, “Unmatched Pairs”, which is a collaboration between its members. There are 10 pairs of artists. On exhibit will be one piece from each person and one of their collaborations. September 6th – October 1st. Opening reception Friday, Sept. 6th, 7-9PM.
LOCAL 14 at the World Forestry Center, October 4th – 6th.
PORTLAND OPEN STUDIOS at my studio, 5040 SE Milwaukie Ave, two weekends in a row, October 12th & 13th and 19th & 20th.
RAIN SPARK GALLERY seasonal gallery in Lake Oswego, 310 SE State Street, #108. I’ll be giving an artist talk December 26th during the 5-7PM reception. October 24th – December 29th.
SHOW SCHEDULE 2020
OSA MONOTYPE PARTY Honored to be included with 35th other artists to raise money for the non-profit, Oregon Society of Artists. All artists create prints on Saturday that will be hung that night for the reception. It’s going to be fun time. Hope to see you there!
Opening Reception February 1st, 6pm – 8pm.
First Thursday Reception February 6th, 6-8pm.
2185 SW Park Place
HOME AND GARDEN SHOW Invited to showcase 7 of my largest pieces in the landscape exhibit section of the show at the entrance, the Expo Center, February 20th- 23rd.
CELEBRATION OF CREATIVITY First Look Gala includes live jazz and hors d’ oeuvres, $10.00. Free entry Friday- Sunday. Southminster Presbyterian Church in Beaverton, March 5th – 8th.
BONSAI AKIRA OPEN STUDIO Come and visit the display garden in its glorious springtime beauty. I’ll have my work among the plants and bonsai. April 25th, 11-5pm. On Ellis directly off Milwaukie Ave.
THE GATHERING OF THE GUILDS which includes my guild, the CREATIVE METAL ARTS GUILD will be held at the Oregon Convention Center, May 1st – 3rd. Six guilds will show their work: Wood, Glass, Bead, Weavers, Metal and ceramic. See me in Booth 1-M. cancelled, possible virtual show.
RAIN SPARK GALLERY seasonal gallery in Lake Oswego on State Street. New website for online sales in progress now, check back for updates.
I really enjoy working with clients to bring joy to their lives through metal art. Sometimes people know exactly what they want while other times, through a consultation, a sculpture is arrived upon. Here are some recent pieces brought to life through this process.
Bamboo Forest – 95″H x 32″W.
The client wanted a piece that would be visible when the pocket door was closed. It had to be thin yet pop visually. Through a consultation I suggested this concept. It brought the outside landscape to the interior.
Reed Trellis- Steel rod of various diameter, 6.5’W x 6’H.
This was designed to be an elegant way to hide the neighbors garage. The evergreen clematis will be trained onto it.
Spiral Gate, 36″Wx42″H.
This homeowner has an affinity for the spiral design. I plasma cut this based on a pair of earrings. It was then custom fit to mount into the side yard gate.
Eiffal Tower – 8’H x 42″W
My client honeymooned in Paris with her sweetie. For their 1st anniversary she surprised her with this gift, an Eiffel Tower trellis for the garden.
Eternal Om – powder coated red with bell – 48″H.
During a tour through my studio the idea for this piece came to life. They found exactly what they were looking for.
CLIENT REVIEW: I met Shelly at The Home and Garden Show in 2016. I was attracted to her display of hearts that she had welded because I collected hearts for my husband after his stent surgery in 2013. Shelly had unusual and beautifully formatted hearts made of different metals, including barbed wired and I thought that was a serendipitous material to shape into a heart. I liked that Shelly used recovered and recycled material for her art and I also heard the passion she felt for her chosen art form. Even with our years apart in age and world experiences, I felt a camaraderie with Shelly and saw and felt her warmth and joy for the sculptures she created and for those with whom she worked. I knew I wanted a Shelly Durica-Laiche sculpture in our front yard.
She listened to my musings and almost intuitively understood my desires and made a beautiful gong that brings joy to me everyday as it reminds me of my upbringing in Japan.
I was so excited to present this one of a kind custom Deco Shoe Bench to my client. She was thrilled! This video shows some of the details I designed into the piece of furniture. It matches the architecture and style of my client’s period home. It will sit in the foyer at the top of the stairs. The sandal shelves are on the left, shoes go in the middle drawer and boots to the right. The boot box has a removable water tight tray. A top cushion will be upolstered. 60″L x 20″W x 20″D.
This monolith has been installed in Jerry and Richard’s private landscaped garden as a memorial to a loved one who has passed. The laser cut piece is 3/8ths inch steel with a fin bisecting at 30 degrees. At its base is crushed white granite which matches their nearby raked rock garden. Its been bolted to a concrete footing. 62″ H x 16″ W.
Client Review: “I met Shelly at the annual garden sale by the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon, where she was selling her attractive metal garden sculptures. Subsequently, I saw more of her work at the Cracked Pots Art Show in Troutdale, OR. I talked with her about fabricating a memorial sculpture for my home garden to honor my recently deceased Nisei parents, John and Frances Ota. Shelly’s metal work seemed particularly appropriate for this. I had a calligraphy that John had made of his name, Ota, written in kanji. After talking with Shelly about options, we decided on a vertical slab of steel in a vibrant red powder coat with the kanji script excised from the metal. Shelly was a delight to deal with: enthusiastic, flexible, engaging. The final endproduct was exactly what we wanted: elegant, refined, handsome, reflective of Japanese aesthetics. It now has shined in our garden for 2 years. It’s a delight to look from our home at the memorial in the garden, even in the depths of winter. It always brings smiles to faces and great memories to mind. Shelly made it happen.”
This is the Arching Chime installed in SE Portland for Lou Ann and Patricia. The face of the chime was designed to be viewed from the deck while the full body possesses the space from all angles. The piece is bolted to a concrete footing. It was inspired by the steel hoops of a vintage redwood hot tub. The paint matches the highlight colors of the house.
To give you some perspective these flowers are in a pot 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide. They give the space some color while the pot holds back the soil in a planted bed. A high shelf inside holds a layer of stones. This was a fun project for Tom and Debbie! Thank you.
This red geometric piece is on top of a steep slope. Until the plants grow in, this playful bright pattern reminds one to watch their step. When the plants do come in, it will be a nice contrast to the green foliage. Thanks Bunny!
So pleased to meet with a couple looking for a piece to go into their beautiful zen garden. They’d been searching for almost a year. What a pleasure that they wanted the Bonzai monolith to complete the space. You’ve created a lovely retreat. Thank you very much Mary and Shelley!
This piece was sold at Crackedpots last year. I was thrilled to receive this photo of it in its new home. I am now inspired to post client images to share the variety of locations and settings the sculptures are chosen for. Thank you Vivian for sending in this photo of the airline monolith!
INDIO METAL ARTS 