Heavy metal sparks art career

Valley Life editor

Holly Gittlein's art career began with a spark, and two years later, she is being recognized as one of Alaska's most distinct artists.

Gittlein isn't your typical artist, however -- instead of paint brushes, she wields acetylene torches and plasma cutters. Instead of paint, she uses different colored metals for color. Instead of a studio, she can be found in the shop beside her uncle's home and business, throwing around sheets of metal.

"I really enjoy doing it. I come out here, turn the radio up, get the sparks flying," Gittlein said. "It's real physical work."

Gittlein got started two years ago when she first started working with metal on a mannequin display. Her family's background certainly helped -- her dad is a machinist and her two uncles are involved in the steel and metal industries.

"The first project was a mannequin, and I had a ball doing it," Gittlein said. "All of a sudden, I started making stuff out of metal. I realized the possibilities were endless."

That's why she now has a bed made of metal, complete with a monster popping his head out from under the frame. The bed is ornately finished with species of animals found in the Amazon -- a place where Gittlein spent some time in the past.

Gittlein's subjects are almost always fish -- she has worked in fisheries before, and she has a degree in biology.

Her finished products vary from signs to wall hangings to tables, but they are all all cut from the same cloth -- heavy pieces of steel.

"First I draw out what I want, and then I use a plasma cutter or acetylene torch to cut it out," Gittlein said. "Then there is a lot of grinding and polishing. I like to use a lot of copper for color, and I've started adding stained glass to add some color. Then I slap it on the wall."

Since she started "slapping things on the wall" two years ago, Gittlein has been receiving acclaim for her work. She does commissioned work for individuals and businesses, and her art can be found at Town Square Art Gallery in Wasilla and Artique in Anchorage.

Recently, she received the People's Choice Award at the Anchorage Museum of History and Art -- a prestigious award that can only help an aspiring artist's career.

"Next year I'll have 10 live auctions there. It's given me a lot of good exposure," Gittlein said.

The accolades aren't limited to art museums and galleries, though. Gittlein was recently chosen by Rotary International to spend a year studying abroad. She was the district's winner -- and the district covers Canada, Alaska and part of Russia.

"It's a great honor. Basically, you are going there to study and go to school, but Rotary wants you to also be an ambassador of good will and focus on humanitarian issues too," Gittlein said. "You are expected to be more than just a student. The scholarship is comparable to an Albright or a Fulbright scholarship."

Gittlein will be studying ethnobiology and sociobiology at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji starting in February.

"I'd like to work with indigenous cultures and work on teaching them how to improve their way of life and conserve what they have," Gittlein said. She isn't about to give up on her art though. At one point, she said she looked around and saw some metal fish and metal caribou hanging in the shop and wondered if it all was worth it and whether she should quit.

"My uncle almost slapped me. He told me that art is probably the only profession that doesn't do any harm to anybody in the world," Gittlein said. "Everything has happened so fast for me, I never realized that you can reach so many people through art."

Until she leaves for Fiji, she'll be toiling in her uncle Paul's shop, turning out metal sculptures, metal tables and other pieces of art. No matter where she goes, though, her No. 1 fan will always be behind her.

"I couldn't do it without using my uncle Paul's shop, and my aunt Trudy, well, she's my biggest fan. She is always encouraging me," Gittlein said.