Kind and considerate, this interactive metal artist is happy to do anything that clients need at his shop in Phoenix. He regularly works with metal as well as wood, LEDs, and if a project requires plumbing or electrical, that’s no problem. In the past year, Doug’s been very interested in large-scale curtain water features that utilize most of these skills. Doug’s large-scale art is interactive and reflective of the client that hires him. His ‘Motherboard’ Piece—an abstract overlay of the entire complex and map with motion-activated LEDs—is installed outside of ASU’s technology building. If you decide to look further, there are peep holes that reveal tiny people working on the motherboard.

Ever since Doug was a little boy growing up in Dallas, he knew he wanted to be a circus clown. He spent the majority of his teen years practicing magic, juggling and riding a unicycle. After high school, Doug enrolled in clown college and spent many years with Ringling Bros. The circus demanded that he learn how to sew, manage, fix, repair and much more! For nearly ten years, Doug lived in Las Vegas and worked with Cirque du Soleil as a rigger. After moving to Phoenix, he learned there wasn’t a lot of demand for rigging and started his own home repair business. However, he hated driving everywhere and after getting into custom work, he opened his shop. Open for six years, it’s where he creates his custom pieces.