Bill Herzfeld Has Discovered Art Among The Ruins

Old typewriters, antique screwdrivers, wrenches, wires, nuts and bolts. They may sound like junk to you, but these are the things Bill Herzfeld considers a little bit of heaven.  Herzfeld is a "found object artist," an artist who re-purposes tossed away items and assembles them into artwork. 

His yard is carefully decorated with his work: a lightning bug, a spider, a wind chime and a flower all festoon his beautiful koi pond right in the heart of Windsor.

About five years ago, when a store Herzfeld was working at closed it's doors, Herzfeld and his wife, Michele, had a talk and decided it was time for his to go for his dream.  He said she encouraged him and said, "If you're ever going to go for it, this is the time." 

His dream has manifested in the form of Eclectic Wonders, his company that sells and showcases his one-of-a-kind creations.

His unique pieces are often on exhibit at local art studios, where they have received a lot of attention, even garnering him a spot on the HGTV show "That's Clever" a few years ago.

Herzfeld admits that entering into the handmade art industry hasn't come without it's challenges. With the downturn of the economy, Herzfeld says, his "business was cut about 50 percent," in the last couple of years.  He blames this on the fact that people just don't have the disposable income that they once used to.  But, he has continued to produce work during these leaner times through his business "Eclectic Wonders." 

"I am always on the lookout for good junk," he said.

Herzfeld sees opportunity in places where others see trash, or as he puts it, he "makes stuff out of stuff." 

"So much of this stuff would be thrown away.  Thrown in a landfill," said Herzfeld. He takes special pride in the fact that he is keeping downtrodden pieces of metal out of local landfills and dumps. 

The welding workshop in his basement is strewn with items like old Royal typewriters, pieces of unrecognizable and rusted metal-ware, copper tubing and broken pianos.  So where does he get his parts?  Herzeld says he makes visits to a flea market or two and that sometimes friends call him up to put him on the lead to an estate that may be disassembled in the area.  He searches the market for those one-of-a-kind industrial artifacts, some of which are from local companies which are long-gone, but yet, were once household names throughout Connecticut.

As far as his inspirations, Herzfeld seems to like bugs and flowers, but doesn't box himself in to any one theme.  He is willing to let the metal shape or design lead him where it wants to go.  Sometimes, he says, he just looks at the piece and turns it around until an idea comes to him.  Besides large pieces, Herzfeld also makes bud vases out of discarded plated silver-ware and has even created little men out of piano keys and he feels like his style has become more refined over the last few years.  "My shop has more equipment in it now," said Herzfeld.  "My [artistic] eye has gotten better." 

"I get alot of satisfaction taking these type of articles and regenerating them," he said.

For more information on Herzfeld's found object artwork, please visit his website at www.eclecticwonders.com.