Tony Mayo has an enviable International reputation for Innovative and exciting sculpture meticulously crafted from exotic and unusual materials collected during excursions to ninety-four (94) countries to date.

“The Process Tony Mayo Follows To Create A Sculpture” Tony Mayo only uses hand tools to create his sculptures. On very rare occasions, when it is necessary to remove large amounts of material to arrive at a basic shape, he may use power tools. But the actual shaping, refining and final finish is always produced with hand tools. Mayo works by hand because he feels it puts him in touch physically and emotionally with the essence of the material in which he is working. Mayo says, “I know if I am working by hand, it is going to take me a long time to create a work of art. I believe that realization forces me to slow down and take my time while manufacturing the finished product. That awareness compels me to not hurry and to be more patient and exacting.” Tony Mayo’s completed work is refined and finished beyond what the human eye can normally see. When working, he wears magnifying goggles while using small hand tools. Sometimes he makes his own tools because there are no available commercial implements that will allow him to create some of the difficult angles and details he takes great pleasure in producing. Mayo likes the challenge of pushing various materials to their limit, forming them either very thin, or into demanding shapes that are normally not attempted. As he sculpts a piece, again and again Mayo looks carefully at it from every possible angle to make sure each line or surface is as straight, evenly curved, or smooth as possible. He does not want any bumps, ridges or uneven areas. As he brings a piece to completion, he closes his eyes and lightly run his fingertips over all surfaces, feeling for irregularities which his eyes, aided with magnifying glasses, may have not detected. If anything unsatisfactory is discerned, Mayo carefully reshapes and smooths it to his high standard. The final polishing is extremely painstaking and time consuming. After the surface has been meticulously smoothed with exceptionally sharp tools, it is sanded with 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper. The 400 grit is followed by 600 grit, then 1,000 grit and finally with 2,000 grit wet/dry sandpaper. On some occasions, Mayo may work up to 3,000 grit paper. Mayo uses the 400 grit sandpaper to form the final shape, removing extremely small amounts of material, almost as one might use a super fine file. Frequently, as Mayo puts the final polish on a sculpture, he will discover uneven areas; he then reworks those sections and goes through the entire polishing process once more. Usually Mayo’s sculptures incorporate undercuts that are only the thickness of a sheet of paper. Imagine sanding and polishing into those sharp undercuts, as well as into numerous small holes and difficult angles, using a tiny piece of sandpaper held with your fingertips. Often, Mayo must make diminutive custom tools onto which sandpaper can be attached in order to get into hard to reach areas. Hand sanding to a polish can take 100 or more hours. When carefully observing Mayo’s sculptures, you will notice that even the bottoms and other unseen areas, as well as the smallest hard to reach regions are smooth and finished to a polish. Mayo’s desire is to make his finished piece of art absolutely as perfect as he is able, and to that end, he will rework a piece over and over. Some of his sculptures evolve over several years and take as much as 2,000 hours to complete. Often mayo’s art contains details so small that most people can’t see them without the aid of a magnifying glass.

Sculptures by tony mayo

Credentials

Biography

In the year 1942, Tony Mayo was born in the small picturesque community of Owatonna in Southern Minnesota, U.S.A. Tony spent his childhood in the American Midwest moving with his family to Minneapolis, Minnesota and then on to Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Grand Rapids, Michigan and back to Stevens Point before returning to Minnesota where he attended Edina High School and the University of Minnesota. Tony earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Arts from St. Cloud University, and a Master of Fine Arts Degree from The University of Minnesota. Tony’s earliest fond recollections include making miniature cars and houses out of mud from his parent’s garden, and sitting at the dining room table receiving memorable drawing lessons in graphite pencil from his talented Grandmother Harrington. Tony has had a passion for creating art ever since. In 1974 Mr. Mayo immigrated to Canada settling first in the Northwest Territories where he spent over two years traveling much of Canada’s Arctic working for the federal government establishing Inuit Art Co-ops. Tony Mayo now resides in beautiful Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada located in the Fraser Valley. His studio overlooks the Fraser River and is surrounded by stunning snow-capped mountains. From early childhood, Mayo has been interested in ancient stone tools and weapons, collecting his first arrowhead when he was only seven years old. Finding that artifact speared a lifelong interest in indigenous peoples and their traditional ways of life. To date Mr. Mayo has traveled ninety-three countries, visiting the most remote parts of those nations. His intent has been to collect artifacts and document as much information as he could relating to endangered or threatened cultures and people. Mayo has spent over nine years of his life outside North America following that pursuit and documenting with copious slides, videos, drawings, diagrams, photographs, interviews with elders, audio recordings and notes. Tony Mayo is an accomplished artist and his art often demonstrates his fascination with world cultures and frequently incorporates rare and unusual materials obtained during exotic travels to ninety-four (94) countries to date.

Influences

The Renaissance and Michelangelo, the sculptor, painter, author, poet, architect and water fountain physics

Reviews

1989 - 2005- Numerous reviews and interviews in "The Abbotsford News"
2009, March- "The Abbotsford News"
2016, April- “The Explorers Club Canadian Chapter Monthly Newsletter”
2016, June- "The Abbotsford News"

Teaching Experience
Much of Mayo’s career evolved around teaching and education from 1966 through 2005. The following is a brief outline of some of the highlights: 1966 – 1970: Taught art at Elk River High School in Elk River, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mayo was also yearbook advisor as well as head track coach and head cross-country coach. During his last year at Elk River, Mayo designed and equipped cutting edge art rooms for the new Elk River High school 1970 – 1971: Taught ceramics at the Jewish Community Center, St Louis Park, Minnesota 1970 – 1972: Designed, equipped and taught various summer art camps with students making gas high fire kilns and mixing own clay bodies and glazes 1970: Quetico Boundary Waters canoe guide with struggling inner city children 1971 - 1972: Designed and equipped custom jewelry making studio for the Minnesota Museum art school where Mayo taught jewelry and ceramic classes for two years. 1972 – 1973: Mayo studied ancient pottery making methods with the Mixtec Indians in the remote mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico 1973: For the University of Minnesota, Mayo taught an extension course on “Mexican Pre-Columbian Ceramic Art 1973 – 1974: With others, Mayo received a United States Federal Government Grant. He helped equip and design a program and facilities that used art to rehabilitate juvenile offenders at Lino Lakes Prison, Minnesota. He then taught ceramic classes there, and had the students incorporate ancient clay processing and firing methods learned from the Mixtec in Mexico. Mayo was able to arrange guarded release for the students to travel to a remote area to dig natural occurring clay that they later used to make their pottery projects 1974 – 1975: Immigrated to Northwest Territories, Canada where Mayo was contracted by the Canadian Federal Government to establish Inuit Art Co-ops traveling throughout much of the Canadian Arctic teaching painting, drawing, tapestry design and construction as well as sculpture in soapstone, whalebone, ivory and caribou antler to the Inuit. When Mayo realized that precious artifacts were leaving indigenous communities, he encouraged the establishment of local artifact collections 1975 – 1976: Settled in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories teaching ceramics at the Yellowknife Arts Guild, and soapstone sculpture at Yellowknife Northern Handicrafts. Mayo then spearheaded a group that was successful in preserving Old Town Yellowknife, the last remaining intact shantytown in North America 1976: Mayo traveled over much of the Arctic as part of a team, which included interpreters on contract to innumerate the very first comprehensive census of the Northwest Territories 1976: Moved to Vancouver Island, Canada where he built a driftwood shack on a remote northwest coast beach and squatted for one year to immerse himself full time in creating sculpture 1977 -1981: Traveled the world buying, selling and trading art and artifacts 1982 -1986: Owned a vitamin supplement business in Victoria and continued traveling 1986 -1987:Youth pastor and Sunday school superintendent for Victoria Church of The Way 1987: Mayo attended The University of Victoria to upgrade his certification so he could teach in British Columbia, Canada 1988: Taught art for half a year at Robron Secondary School in Campbell River, Vancouver Island, Canada 1989 - 1993: Moved to Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada where he taught art and Social Studies at Clearbrook Junior School. During those four years, Mr. Mayo designed and equipped the entire fine arts facilities for two large new state of the art secondary schools being built in Abbotsford 1993: When the two new schools opened, Mayo was hired as Fine Arts Department Head for the new Robert Bateman Secondary School 1993 – 2005:Taught senior 3-D art and was also Fine Arts Department Head at Robert Bateman Secondary School until retirement in 2005. Mayo taught jewelry design and construction, sculpture, ceramics, stained glass, and glass casting, fusing and slumping as well as flame glass 2005: Present: Established TonyMayoArt * The above dates may not be completely accurate, and at times, for listing convenience, their order may be slightly altered
Symposiums
2015- Salt Spring Island International Mini Symposium: Invited to take part 2016- Salt Spring Island International Symposium; Mayo was invited to present 2012-2016- Numerous speaking engagements at the following venues: Philosophers Café, Mission, British Columbia; Lifetime Learning Centre, British Columbia; Learning Plus Abbotsford, British Columbia

Categories

This artists work is found in the following categories on site:
Glass or Acrylic Transparant Sculptures Indoor Inside Interior Abstract Contemporary Modern Sculptures Interior Indoors Inside Sculpture Modern Abstract Contemporary Avant Garde Sculptures or Statues or statuettes or statuary Repetitive Form/Shape Abstract sculptures/statues Spiral Twisted sculpture/statue/carving Ceramic sculptures Endangered Animal Species Sculptures Predators Carnivores Hunters Flesh Eaters sculptures Primitive Naive sculpture statue carving casting The Americas: Animal / Wildlife Sculptures Anatomical Sculptures of parts of the human body Commission and Custom and Bespoke sculpture Statues Figurative Abstract Modern or Contemporary Sculptures Statues statuary statuettes figurines Human Form: Abstract Sculptures Carved Stone, Marble, Alabaster, Soap Stone Granite Lime stone Sculpture Contemporary Abstract / Stylised / Minimalist Bird Sculptures Fantasy sculpture or Statue Minimalist Understated Abstract Contemporary Sculpture statuary statuettes Precious Metal Precious stone Sculpture Statue Ornament Figurine Statuette Small /Little Abstract Contemporary sculptures/statues Animal Abstract Contemporary Modern Stylised Minimalist Sculptures Animals and Humans Sculptures, Statues and Statuettes Human and Animal sculptures Human Figurative Sculptures Spiritual sculpture Abstract Fish sculptures Big Game Fish Sculptures and Statues Carved or Carving sculpture Fresh Water Fish sculpture statue statuettes Small Game fish like Trout Salmon Grayling and Other Angling Fish Animal Busts or Heads or Masks or Trophies For Sale or Commission Archaeology inspired sculpture statues Mixed Media Sculptures, Statues Garden Ornaments Primitive or Naive style Sculpture or Statuary Stylized Animals Sculptures Love / Affection/Adoration/Passion Sculpture Abstract Modern Contemporary statues sculpture statuary Aquatic sculptures Fish/Shells/Sharks/Seals/Corals/Seaweed Dolphins, Whales, Porpoises, Seals, Sculptures Marine Maritime Water Sea sculpture statue statuette Cloud, Breeze, Wave and Wind Sculptures

Tags

This artists work is found in the following tags on site:
Abstract Glass sculpture art glass sculpture beautifully crafted glass fumed glass Glass sculpture hand polished glass one of a kind glass solid glass sculpture Tony Mayo Contemporary Music statuette Tony Mayo Trumpet sculpture unique glass sculpture Coloured Modern Glass statuettes Contemporary Indoor Glass statuette Little Abstract Glass sculpture Modern Fumed Glass Ornament one of a kind Glass statuettes solid Contemporary Class sculpture Tony Mayo Glass art Tony Mayo sculpture American Indian art Canadian First Nations art custom made peace pipe exquisitely finished fine craftsmanship sculpture hand sculpted multi-media sculpture native art one of a kind peace pipe Tony Mayo art statue wildlife sculpture black and white contrast human hands sculpture hydrostone sculpture interesting hands composition lifelike hands meticulous craftsman Modern Art one of a kind hands sculpture realistic hands Tony Mayo art unusual hand sculpture flocked glass Modern Glass sculpture Beautiful Tony Mayo sculpture Boy Bird statues Hand sculpted Abstract Eagle Stone sculpture Little Marble Contemporary sculptures Rare materials Abstract statuettes Tony Mayo Contemporary Avian statues Canadian arctic materials custom made sculpture exotic materials Hand carved stone sculpture meticulous craftsmanship Mixed Media sculpture one of a kind sculpture rare materials Spiritual sculpture Stone sculpture surrealism sculpture Tony Mayo arts big game fish sculpture Carved Stone Fish sculpture custom made fish sculpture exquisite craftsmanship fish Sculpture one of a kind fish sculpture Realistic Fish sculpture salmon sculpture sport fish sculpture stylized fish sculpture Canadian First Nations Drum Contemporary Custom made drum Exquisitely Crafted Drum statues Fine Crafted Drum statues Meticulous War Drum Wall Hanging Mixed Media drum sculpture one of a kind drum Red Indian Drum sculpture Tony Mayo War Drum sculpture Contemporary Glass Passion statues Contemporary Solid Glass sculpture Kiss of Life Contemporary statue Love abstract glass sculpture modern Love glass Abstract statues Tony Mayo Abstract Love sculpture Unique glass Love sculpture Cavorting Whale sculptures Hand Carved Whale sculpture Hand sculpted stone Whale Leaping Whale Unique sculpture Little Whale statuettes Rare Materials sculpture Small Cavorting Whale statues Small Whales Cavorting sculptures Tony Mayo Whale sculpture Carved Seal in Sea statue Carved Seal statuettes Carved Surfing Seal sculpture marine sculpture Rare Materials Seal statue Sea Seal Waves statues Seal & Waves sculptures Seal Sculpture Tony Mayo Abstract Seal sculptures wave sculpture