There is life after high school shop class. Harry Klessen, a retired automotive repair teacher, is now a full-time metals artist with gallery showings all over the Midwest.

The Octagon Center for the Arts is one of those galleries. “We’ve had a good response to his work so far. He’s already sold two pieces,” Special Events and Communications coordinator Carla Murphy said.

You may recognize Klessen’s name from his sculpture “Wind Spinners” which stands near the Electric and Water Utility Building by Bandshell Park. This 14-foot outdoor, wind-powered, kinectic sculpture piece was commissioned by the City of Ames, according to a recent press release.

“Wind Spinners” is made of stainless steel, but Klessen is known for using a wide variety of metals in each of his sculptures. “I like the contrast between the different colors of metal. I like the shiny metals, like copper and brass,” Klessen said.

Klessen has used everything from leather and brass to chrome auto bumpers. “I do a lot of mixed media things,” Klessen said.

The background for all of this metal art came from 29 years of teaching high school shop. “I made my first metal sculpture when I was taking a refresher course in welding. I found some cut pieces in a pile on the floor and I thought it would be fun to put them together,” Klessen explained.

Before trying metal art, Klessen had experimented with oil paintings, watercolor and ceramics. “I finally started gluing pieces on to my paintings, trying to get a more three-dimensional piece. Now I weld three-dimensional things,” Klessen said.

Klessen, retired for only two years, now has his own studio and can create whenever he feels the urge. “What I do is work on a piece for a couple hours, then rest, then come back and change something on it. It’s the good life. All I have to do is get older, as long as I don’t get too old,” Klessen said.

26 pieces of Klessen’s work will be shown at the Octagon Center for the Arts through August 4. Items are available for sale in the gift shop. The gallery is free and open to the public.