We recently connected with Nathan Robles and have shared our conversation below.

Nathan , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

When we “take a risk” we’re pushing through the boundaries of what we believed was possible. When we don’t take a risk, it’s because we have a compulsion to stay where we are familiar. Even if we aren’t comfortable or happy with where we are at.

I’ve been finding that there is something very profound and magical about the discontent I’ve struggled against in my life. Not just as an artist but as a human being in life’s journey. My career, relationships, religious and political views and spiritual understanding have undergone some dramatic changes in the past four years.

Because I felt nagging unease with what I thought my life and reality were, I took some big risks and have now begun a process of remaking myself in many different ways. Changing my life in positive ways has required leaps of faith and stepping out of my familiar zones. It’s been difficult and painful but essential for me to become who I really want to be.

Nathan , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am Nathan Robles, A sculpture artist, painter, poet, writer, videographer, father, brother, friend and husband. I hold the world on my shoulders and I portray what I see in a variety of ways that I hope are universally understandable.

Robles Metal Art is the name of my art production studio that I began in 2015 in my hometown of Kennewick Washington. For seven years I created my artwork using primarily reclaimed steel. Using A variety of welding and shaping techniques I breath new life into materials that were once discarded. The themes of my artwork focus on life’s journey, relationships, community and connections. I portray these themes using sculptural “landscapes” with human and animal figures interacting in their environments in interesting and dynamic ways.

During this past year I’ve moved my studio into a larger space and have expanded my art production capabilities by starting a bronze foundry and collaborating with other local craftsmen and artisans to take my work to a new level. I’ve been documenting my journey on all of my social media sites @roblesmetalart.

I struggled for many years trying to figure out a direction and purpose for my life. Being a career art maker wasn’t something I thought was “realistic” when I was going to school and looking at my options. I came to a point though where I knew I needed to jump in and find a way to make it work. It’s been a winding road getting to this point, and now I’m at a new beginning that has unlimited possibilities.

A big part of my mission is to beautify homes and public spaces by creating artwork that’s meaningful and inspiring. I want to connect with people in a way that elevates us all. I put my whole soul into my work and I hope people get a sense of the depth of what I feel through what I make. It’s not an isolated experience. I’m doing the work of designing and crafting, but it’s not really about me, it’s about us. The art I make is my language of communicating what is relatable as humans experiencing life together. This is a collaboration with the universe to bring about something that previously hadn’t existed and now forms into a reality.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I think a lot about how our society has changed within a relatively short amount of time. Not long ago, all of the products and services people needed came directly from other people within their community. If you needed a bowl or cup you had a local potter. If you needed a chair or table you had local carpenters who made them for you. Apprenticeships were how a person learned their specific trade skills and that was their life’s work.

A shift happened in American society that moved a lot of these products out of our hometowns and across the seas. We now have the ability to buy an overwhelming amount of things, but we have become disassociated from the people and processes that create them. We humans are makers and creators. It’s a biological inheritance from our ancestors. The drive to become proficient in a craft is strong in us, but some of us don’t know what to do and the opportunities we need to become what we’re capable of aren’t necessarily obvious.

I think we’ve reached an amazing moment in history where we have access to all of the tools, materials, information and techniques to do whatever we can imagine. As creators we need to show the value of what we can do, to once again infuse our communities with beautiful works that mean more because they were crafted with care and quality.

Our communities become elevated places when they provide opportunities for advancement in craftsmanship and art production. We are a social ecosystem. Being creative and creating beautiful things isn’t just nice or interesting. It’s vitally important and of the highest value.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I am in the middle of the biggest pivot of my artistic career. Around a year ago I came to a realization that I needed to evolve as an artist and expand into a variety of new methods and materials. Bronze casting has been an integral part of this shift.

I had been working in steel for so long because it is so readily available. I can easily go to a scrap yard, pick up what I need and weld a sculpture together. But the bronze casting process is very different, and requires a lot of specialized methods and materials. And it isn’t cheap. Not to mention I didn’t quite know how to cast pieces in bronze.

Although it was daunting, I began figuring out what I needed to do, got going and everything began to fall into place. I raised $25,000 (money I didn’t have when I started) for all the equipment and materials I needed. I linked together with other artists and makers who have mentored and helped me through the process and I now have a functioning bronze foundry. This is a exciting time for me to push my limits and reach new heights in my work.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.roblesmetalart.com
• Instagram: @roblesmetalart
• Facebook: @roblesmetalart
• Youtube: @roblesmetalart
• Other: TikTok @roblesmetalart