Wayne Shaffer

Wayne Shaffer was born and raised in Denver Colorado. He has been creating sculpture since 1980 when he graduated with a BFA from Colorado State University. At CSU he studied ceramics with Richard Devore and sculpture with John Berland. In 1982 Wayne relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area to establish a studio and work in the bronze casting industry for Piero Mussi at Artworks Foundry in Berkeley, CA.

Wayne has created sculpture in wood, steel, ceramic, and stone but his medium of choice is cast bronze. With over thirty years of experience working in the field of fine art casting as a sculptor, foundry man, mold/pattern maker, and sculptural enlarger, Wayne has developed his knowledge of metal casting. Creating his own work and working with notable artists such as Stephen DeStaebler, Nathan Olivera, Robert Graham, Ron Garrigues, Bruce Wolfe and others.

Currently Wayne continues to work as a sculptor and teacher of visual art. Wayne lives and works at his home and studio in the Sierra Foothills, in Penn Valley CA. His work draws inspiration from nature is all its forms. The sense of unity, of simple movement and timelessness that one finds in nature are combined with the recurring themes of the vessel as an art form, the human figure and landscape. The sculptures have been described as minimal but Wayne prefers to think of them as essential and surreal.