About

“I use metal sheet, rod and bar to create works with familiar shapes and forms from nature. I rely on organic lines and rhythms to create a sense of upward movement in my pieces. This movement speaks to the lift in spirit we experience when we spend time in nature, where if only for a brief period of time are we are able to transcend the pressures of our modern lives.” – Carol Nasvytis

Hey, I’m Nikki, Carol’s daughter, and the designer of soul metal’s website. My mother is that classic style of introverted artist, preferring to hide away in her workshop. It’s been heck trying to get her to write something new for this page, so I thought I’d chime in, but make sure the reader knows the following is my words…

I find a few things striking about my mother’s business which are clearly related, yet with little focus on them. 

 

Firstly, the business is named soul metal.

It is such a simple name that it doesn’t draw attention to itself. If you keep the name in mind while looking through Carol’s sculptures though, you will begin to notice a little red thread, drawing together much of her work. Many of her sculptures visually represent peace and fulfilment – the deepest yearning of any human (soul). 

Carol mentioned above that her tall sculptures – which tend to be leaves or flowers – are designed to invoke the feeling of a spirit being uplifted, like plants reaching towards the sky.

When pressed, my mother will say that the physical effort of metal working is to take one’s anxiety and use it to bend, twist, and weld, until the energy’s been manifested into something beautiful and serene. She’ll say gardeners perform the same alchemy as her – only with dirt and flowers instead of metal and rust.

A stainless steel metal lotus flower sits inside circles of metals. Zen garden art.
Carol created this Zen sculpture without knowing that in Buddhism the Lotus represents purity because it emerges perfectly clean from murky water. Her Lotus is kept pure in the empty space.
Custom metal circle filled with dragonflies, sunset, and cattails.

It’s hard to put into words, but there is something wonderful in understanding that Carol’s peace-seeking sculptures are used to enhance the serene atmosphere of peace-seeking gardeners. 

Even when using a common garden theme that can be rather kitschy – such as dragonflies – Carol seems naturally predisposed to create designs that capture a peaceful moment in time.

I know Carol is comfortable sharing that she fell into metal work during a mid-life crisis wherein her grown children moved home, and she suddenly spent long hours in the garden and workshop. That scene represents life so perfectly – hers and everyone elses – the attempt to avoid chaos, and to find those still moments of respite where we feel at peace.

If you want a moment of tranquility to always be available, to beckon to you from your garden or your home – especially in those rough times – then I implore you to enjoy looking through Carol’s sculptures. You may find a metal design that speaks to your soul.