eMail This Member

Charles Cummings

Member Since: 2008

Media Specialties:  Glass;

City: Dobson

State: North Carolina

County: Surry County, NC

Bio: Apprentice in Glass

Charles was born and raised in rural Texas. He had a 20- year military career, finishing as a Flight Engineer Instructor on C5 aircraft. He served two tours in Vietnam and retired on a partial disability in 1983. He followed that with a 21-year career with the US Postal Service. His three children have given him the joy of six grandchildren. In 2001, he earned an Associate Arts degree in computer programming. He most enjoys programming computer graphics in Povray and Renderman. He retired to North Carolina in 2004 and lives in a church building dating from 1885 in the Copeland community of Dobson with his wife, Dorian Faye, who is also an artist. They each love the wonderful space which the building offers.

Charles was always interested in making metal objects beautiful. His first entrepreneurial business in high school was a paint and body shop. Later, he was nationally ranked drag racer; he built and maintained his own race car. These practical welding skills he eventually applied to found-object art and, now, to metal garden sculpture. He was a former student member of the California Blacksmith Association and fabricated a sign for Stony Knoll Vineyards.

A church-home renovation accident in 2006 put working in heavy metal on hold. His interests turned to fused glass and lamp work because this medium is lighter and can be produced sitting down. His two glass classes at the Sawtooth Center in Winston-Salem confirmed his love of this art form.

Charles remarks that, “Growing up, my major art influences were my Mom and Dad.” His mom worked and competed as a floral designer and taught me to appreciate opera and good manners. Charles’ dad was schooled as a mining engineer, but he tinkered with original ‘Rube Goldberg’ inventions. Once, he made a 20-foot chicken wire TV antenna ‘sculpture’ that the city made him take down from the roof!

Charles says, “I am happy to have been raised in an era when making it yourself was a virtue and goal. I never want to stop pushing the envelope with what I can make metals and glass do.”

This Member's Galleries: