FROM STAFF REPORTS

At his workshop/studio in Augusta, metal sculptor Jamison York sent white sparks flying, as his acetylene torch ripped through heavy sheet metal.

That brisk morning, York was outfitted in layered work clothes and a full- length, leather blacksmith's apron that protected him from sparks and sharp metal.

Clustered about were roughly a half dozen of his in-process works.

The largest was a 7- foot-tall, black sheet-metal sculpture titled, "Eclipse."

"I was inspired by lunar cycles. I wanted to show the movement of ocean tides and the moon," he said of the piece's rhythmic forms.

Like a number of York's works executed in that style, the moderately-sized sculpture demonstrated a strongly balanced interplay between interior spaces and flat, curving shapes. The combined effect was a pleasing lightness that didn't sacrifice sculptural integrity.

"Most of my work is inspired by nature's movement -- the wings of a bird -- a wave," he said.

Showcased in Freeport

Priced at $3,400, "Eclipse" is currently showcased on the grounds of the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) House of Cranberry Ridge, Freeport.

The 3,200-square foot, eco-friendly home, priced at about $800,000, is situated on 2.3 acres near Wolf Neck State Park. A designer house tour is going on through April 19. For more information: Go to: freeportusa.com.

The home was built by Maine contractors Wright-Ryan Homes, the state's first home awarded the platinum designation in the LEED for Homes pilot program, according to wright-ryanhomes.com.

Also in York's workshop were two tower-like pieces inspired by the texture of birch tree bark.

"I will fill it with large beach stones," he said, gesturing to a tall, single tower, whose rugged, cut-out patterns created a static but curiously dynamic form suggestive of a hollow tree trunk. Surface interest was created by a high-performance grinding wheel fit with a flexible disc.

York also has created a beautifully engaging, 4-foot- high sculpture of lyrically arranged, wing-like shapes supported by two metal stems. Now in the rough, the piece will get a highly polished chrome finish, adding the dimension of liquid- mirrored forms and light.

"I wanted it to express a wave," he said.

He buys scrap metal from Stiman Steel in Augusta and T.W. Dick Steel and Fabrication Co. in Gardiner.

"I recycle every bit of steel. I'm really concerned about the environment. I love nature and translate it's natural forms."

York, 32, divides his time between his Augusta workshop/studio and Deer Isle. His mother, Christine York is a well-established watercolorist with a summer studio/gallery in Deer Isle.

"I've been working steadily as an artist for five years," he said.

A 2001 Cony High School graduate, he received a bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Southern Maine.

After graduation, he worked in Venice, Calif., where he was accepted into the Venice Art Walk and local Los Angeles galleries.

Success in art

The hip-roofed garage-turned- studio, set behind the 1847 home of his parents, Christopher and Christine York, was converted into a temporary studio when he moved from California in 2005 to get re-established in Maine.

Now, his growing art business, Jamison York Metalworks, is finding success here. Since moving to Maine, he has sold sculptures to private collectors in New York, California and Florida and has sold about 25 pieces to significant Maine collectors, including Dr. Arthur J. Weiss of Little Deer Isle, Dr. Jay and Gail Rowe of Manchester, Betsi Taylor of Augusta, and John Collins, vice president of Sotheby's International Realty in Brunswick.

A Hallowell resident, York works full-time as a foreman for Irrigation Systems of Maine in Yarmouth but envisions the day when he fully supports himself with his art.

These days, the viewing public is more sophisticated, he said, and he sees a growing appreciation for the kind of abstract sculptures he creates.

"People know what they're looking at and what inspired you," he said.

For more information about York's sculptures, go to: jamisonyorkmetalworks.com

Lynn Ascrizzi -- 621-5731

lascrizzi@centralmaine.com