Lawrence Feir Shares his Secrets to Success
Lawrence Feir is a talented mixed-media sculptor who works primarily with metal, stainless steel, and glass. Lawrence studied art professionally, where he was trained in a variety of art forms. He pursued a career in aerospace photography for over 15 years but ultimately returned to his passion for sculpting after the September 11 attacks.
Lawrence is inspired by the human form; it is one of the central themes in his welded steel sculptures. As a college student, he remembers sneaking into live drawing classes to get more experience recreating the human form.
“The familiarity of the human body drives me to sculpt,” he says when asked about his inspiration. “You can’t go but so far outside of the normal parameters before people dislike it.” He states that the true challenge of rendering the human body is that it’s clear what’s right and wrong. He wants the audience to notice his intentional creative decisions and understand his perspective.
“Sculpting the human body didn’t come naturally to me,” says Lawrence. He spent countless hours practicing and starting over before finally establishing his unique art style. Lawrence states that one of the most important skills for an artist to have is the drive to improve. “I do it because it’s challenging, not easy. I must work for it.”
In addition to his collection of life-size figurative steel sculptures, Lawrence also creates kinetic wind sculptures. Like in his figure collection, Lawrence experiments with mixed mediums when constructing his wind sculptures. The beautiful pieces are assembled with stainless steel, recycled re-bar, and glass.
While artistic ability and passion motivate him to keep creating, his personal selling skills ultimately make him a successful artist. His ability to market and promote his artwork granted him opportunities to flourish with arts as a career. His background in photography helps him capture captivating images of his current art to share with the public.
“It’s uncomfortable, but if you don’t put yourself out there, you won’t grow.” Says Lawrence when asked about his professional development as an artist. In college, he remembers being “repulsed” by the idea of marketing. Through years in the industry, Lawrence developed the confidence needed to share his art with the world, a skill not taught in the classroom. “Don’t be scared of rejection – success won’t come at the first door, but your confidence and courage will get you taken seriously as an artist.”
Lawrence Feir is a 2021-2022 ArtsGreensboro Artist Support Grantee. To learn more about Lawrence’s current projects, visit his website at lawrencefeir.com.
