Doug Adams is an award-winning recycled Sculptured Bell artist. Growing up in Fielding, Utah, on a small Appaloosa horse ranch and farm, his childhood involved working in the fields, hauling hay, weeding sugar beets, and building fences, which instilled a strong work ethic in him. After graduating high school, Doug served in the Utah National Guard for five years, training as a tank mechanic.
Upon returning from his military service, Doug found employment constructing a large steel mill nearby. A year later, he began his 30-year career in the steel industry. During this time, he held various positions such as painter, stacker, straightener, torch-man, utility-man, 2nd helper, switchman, engineer, and Tundish builder/fabricator. This extensive experience contributed significantly to Doug's knowledge of recycling metals to create new usable products. He became "entranced by the process of taking recycled scrap metal from its simple form and making a new useable product". His work in the steel mill, from the electric arc furnaces to the continuous caster, deeply influenced him. The techniques and processes he became familiar with in the steel mill now inform all of his one-of-a-kind sculptural bells.
Doug created his first bell using a recycled cylinder in the early 1980s. It wasn't until he met his talented artist wife, Dianne, that they began creating one-of-a-kind sculptured bells with her help and inspiration. Doug continuously searches for reclaimed treasures, priding himself on the rarity of his finds, which include old tools, machinery, and car parts. He masterfully combines found objects, upcycled and reclaimed steel parts, and priceless antiques in his sculptures.
In recent years, Doug began incorporating glass elements into his sculptures. These "stunning gemstone-looking additions" are created by Doug's wife, Dianne Adams, from reclaimed slag glass from old window factories and up-cycled glass bottles. Dianne creates one-of-a-kind glass pieces in her art studio for each sculpture.
Each bell is chosen for its tone, clarity, and appearance and is then hand-embellished with Doug's distinctive designs. Each unique bell stand is designed for its respective bell and given Doug's trademark distressed patina. Reflecting a concept found in many Asian cultures where combining metals and stone is considered good fortune or Zen, Doug incorporates these earth elements in his work.
Doug's pieces are carefully made to stand the test of time for both indoor and outdoor settings, and he encourages collectors to experiment with placement to observe the effect on the sound and resonance. His work has achieved international acclaim and broad appeal.
Doug's artwork is displayed and sold through Exposures International Gallery of Fine Art in Sedona, Arizona, Luca Decor Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Trove Gallery in Park City, Utah, and Worthington Gallery at the entrance to Zion's National Park in Springdale, Utah.
Doug expresses his gratitude for his wife Dianne, his supportive family, friends, and collectors, and to his "Loving Father in heaven for this Journey called Life!". He can be contacted at BellMaker1@gmail.com, and for commissions, he directs inquiries to the Worthington Gallery.
