A mirror that stares back at a goddess. A studio that runs on play. A maker who treats mistakes like maps. Walk with us and David Wiseman along the LA River as we trace the making of a seven-foot grotto mirror bound for Chatsworth House and the winding path that led from deer wall hooks to Dior ceilings. This story is about process as much as product, how a single wax drip can become a piece’s DNA, how deadlines sharpen invention, and how the right mold can multiply originality instead of cloning it. David opens the door to his compound and his philosophy. We get inside the feedback loop of an artist-run foundry, where modular stalactite “archetypes” allow real-time composition and patina chemistry compresses weeks into days. He threads myth and material with a light touch, Diana’s grotto meets peyote faces and desert toads, reminding us that wonder belongs in serious work. We talk Victorian follies, garden hermits, and the joy of looking at nature until it reveals itself, then building a form that feels discovered rather than imposed. The journey arcs through RISD, early “deer guy” days, and the aha of bronze, into collectible design, editions, and the practicalities of wiring, structure, and safe installation. Along the way, David shares how he builds a community of “no-people,” hosts Thursday art nights, and reframes failure as information. He’s candid about scaling a practice, balancing life around a 26-person studio, and the ambition to make beautiful, meaningful objects more affordable, yes, even exploring an IKEA collaboration, without extinguishing the spark that makes the work alive. If you care about craft, sculpture, design, and the slippery line where they overlap, this walk is a field guide. Hit play, then tell us where you find your spark.
