Artist Paul Eppling creates distinctive metal sculptures. View Slide Show

Armored Parts

By Sandy Klim

St. Petersburg, FL, artist Paul Eppling's traffic-stopping metal sculptures are nothing short of creative genius. Now a local landmark, his Security Lizard sits atop the police car garage at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 1-275.

The inspiration for the sculpture began when Eppling scouted the location and saw a streetlight near the top of a building. He decided to incorporate the light into his sculpture. Built out of car bumpers, glass, traffic signals and other auto parts, the huge, intricate sculpture depicts a lizard catching a firefly—with the streetlight integrated into the firefly's torso. The Security Lizard sculpture was one of the first pieces of art purchased by the St. Petersburg Arts Commission under the "Percent for Art" program.

Forty years ago, Eppling was working in a metal shop when the idea struck him and he began developing his welded creations. Hundreds of sculptures later, he continues to fashion all types of creatures and other subjects using scrap metal, farm implements, auto parts and sheet metal cut-outs (the circular disks that come from punching holes in sheet metal are perfect for lizard skin, scales and other detailing).

Eppling's palette is his workshop, which he fills with raw material found in salvage yards, sheet metal plants and one of his favorite sites, farm auctions. Years ago, farm implements were created by hand and great care was taken on each tool. As he holds up a small cultivator, he illustrates the graceful curves and detail, which are perfect raw material for his metal sculptures.

Recently, Eppling has added color and glass pieces to his art. The reflection and color of the glass has given an added dimension to his work. He's currently working on a piece for Sanderlin Elementary—a huge steel globe that is perfect for hands—on interaction. Eppling and his wife Sandy, also an artist and fabric sculptor, have been married for 33 years.

For more information about Paul Eppling's work, e-mail him at epplings@earthlink.net.If you know of someone with a fascinating story, let us know at letters@aaagoingplaces.com.

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