I have always been drawn to the mediums metal, wire and paper. I am drawn to the artists who succeed with simplicity, artists who work with the line , especially those who appear to have had a good time doing it. The line drawings of Matisse are so exactly right, they leave me breathless. The illustrations of Saul Steinberg make me laugh out loud. Another great line artist, Al Hirshfeld, who originally wanted to be a sculptor, once said, "Sculpture is a drawing you fall over in the dark." My sculptures and mobiles are exactly that, line drawings I do in the air (and then bump into.)

I do no preliminary drawings for these pieces. They evolve, surprising me all along the way. I push the wire this way and that and the wire most definitely pushes me back, until we get to a place where we're both satisfied. We have both been known to be ornery, even abusive. It is certainly no secret that Alexander Calder is the artist who has most inspired me. He played with color, form, line and movement and clearly had a wonderful sense of humor. His wire sculptures and mobiles simply make me happy.

I first made a mobile in my mother's art/shop class when I was twelve. We studied the mobiles of Calder, their shape, their color and the connections used in making them. I remember, when we hung them up, suddenly the room came alive with motion and color. The space over our heads, usually empty and unnoticeable, was abuzz with activity. The air currents became visible, and color danced. I was completely enraptured.

Working with found printed tin is just plain a-whole-lotta-fun! I find and use the graphic designs within them. I am very saddened that real printed tin cans are being replaced with plastic labels. My heart was broken the day Chock Full 'o Nuts went the way of "advancement". Their little yellow and black checked pattern was one of my favorites, now it is just a piece of plastic.

If you find a printed tin and wish to recycle it, please send it C.O.D. to: Sally Seamans, 3 Harrison Ave. Gloucester, MA 01930. Thank you.

Want to see more of Sally's work? Visit her web site at www.sallyseamans.com.