STORY OF AN ARTIST

Gwen and Tony Moretti

Gwen Quigley and Tony Moretti, collectively known as the Crow’s Nest Artists, live with their daughter Leahbella in the hills above Hammondsport on an off-grid, self-built homestead. Their home is above their studio and they share their land with two sheep, a pony, a mini-mule, 7 cats, a dog, guinea hens and several chickens.

            Since they met in 1997, Gwen and Tony have created numerous sculptural works and taught various art programs for students of all ages. They transfer their love of nature and their rural existence into their work, drawing inspiration, as well as materials, from nature.

            Gwen and Tony work together, forging and fabricating, to create metal sculptures and architectural elements. Their custom gates, stair railings, and awnings are not only functional but sculptural works of strong, graceful beauty. The metal comes to life, organically reflecting the natural world. The pieces harmoniously exist, providing a bridge between the natural and built world.

            As images from the natural world are worked into their metal pieces, natural materials themselves are formed into works of art in the classes Tony and Gwen teach. With the local clay soil, sculptures, pizza ovens and small structures have been created with students of all ages.  Vines and rocks, leaves and branches, wool and feathers, and a myriad of other materials are used to create.