Meet Doug Boyd

Today we’d like to introduce you to Doug Boyd.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I’ve always danced to the beat of a different drum and it has been a dance that has spanned a little over 50 years. My life has been full of adventure, which truly kicked off when I was 19 and signed on to be a clown with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. I travelled with the circus for 13 years, with my last five years spent as the General Manager for the touring shows.

In between there I spent time teaching Japanese students in Tokyo how to be clowns. I was on tour with the American Gladiator Live Tour where I also took a 50 ft. fall that fortunately didn’t kill me. Once I left the road I settled down in Las Vegas where I began work with Cirque du Soliel on the shows LOVE and Zumanity. I began to focus my creative energy on the Vegas art scene and found my way into the Burning Man community where I worked on two 20′ tall wooden showgirl sculptures. One was taken to the Burning Man event and the other was displayed at the monthly art event in Vegas called First Friday. Both were burned as part of the artistic process.

Eight years ago, I moved to Phoenix where I opened my own workshop. I create a variety of creative and functional pieces such as industrial style metal sliding doors, desk, tables and on the more artistic side I’m currently finishing a metal wing sculpture that spans 18ft. across. I feel I’m transitioning towards more large-scale art pieces now. The future is exciting and I can’t wait to see what happens next in my shop.

Please tell us about your art.
I love to create one of kind pieces. I really enjoy the thought that there is only one of something in the entire world. Sure, there may be something similar, but the patterns are different, the colors are different and will never be replicated exactly.

I work with metal, wood, reclaimed items and anything that seems to fit what I’m doing at the time. I really like creating larger than life art. One of my current projects is a pair of wings that are 18ft by 5ft. They’re really big and currently hang in my shop. One day I woke up and decided, I want to make a pair of wings and so I did. I have no idea where they’ll end up but for now they inspire me to keep creating.

While I do appreciate abstract art and I do have a few pieces, I prefer creating art that has a story to tell. I created a small robot sculpture that has a very colorful butterfly on its finger. The robot is holding the butterfly up and he’s looking at it. The idea for this sculpture came to me while I was hiking the John Muir Trail in California. I hiked 140 miles in 13 days and I noticed that even out in the wilderness people were still using technology. I imagined a world overrun by tech to the point we had become more machine than human. So, the robot is rediscovering nature when the butterfly lands on its finger.

What do you think about conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
I actually feel artist have a much easier life now compared to years past, in the sense that with the invention of the vast social media resources, an artist can now broaden their audience base with the push of a button. Crowd funding has also allowed more artist to make a living doing what they love.

While I feel Tempe has the strongest program geared towards artist involvement with the community, I feel Phoenix has been making some headway. It would be great to see the city get behind more artist events like First Friday. It’s nice when the city reaches out for artist involvement for city projects,

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Currently I’m not actually showing my work anywhere. I do have a YouTube channel that I stay very active on and upload new videos at least once a week…or at least try. I’m also very active on Instagram with daily interaction.

I’m working towards creating enough art so I can put together a good-sized show. I’m also working on participating in the Scottsdale art event called, Celebration of Art. It’s a juried event and my deadline is approaching fast.

It’s challenging to maintain my customer base of commissioned doors, desk and tables while at the same time trying to complete some of my art pieces. I wouldn’t trade it for the world though, I love the fast-paced world I’ve created for myself.

Contact Info:

• Address: 16845 N. 29th. Ave. #517
  Phoenix, AZ. 85053
• Website: www.ArtfullyRogue.com
• Phone: 928-274-2697
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artfully_rogue/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtfullyRogue/?ref=bookmarks
• Twitter: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL5zTKvTCM_Cj-j-HOhv_xA?view_as=subscriber
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtfullyRogue?ref=seller-platform-mcnav

Image Credit:
Doug Boyd

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