Inspired by her knowledge of ancient world mythologies and religions, Brandy Stark has produced her "Metal Myths" series since 1995. Ms. Stark utilizes contemporary mediums to resurrect ancient characters, deities, and ideals in the modern world.

Each piece is hand worked; there is no glue or welding involved in this process. The artist utilizes the natural colors of each individual metal in creating her works, including golden brass, earthy bronze and copper, and the silver grays of aluminum and steel.

Employing a technique that combines "wrapping," "weaving," and "sewing" the metal, Ms. Stark adds an additional element to each composition: The combination of heavy materials with open spaces creates a unifying tension throughout each piece.

She was attracted to metal art early in her career. Both ancient and modern artists recognized the durability of the material, as well as its dexterity. It also retains a unique ability to capture and transform light, which creates an additional temporal effect.

As an additional statement about contemporary culture, Ms. Stark often adds found objects to her three-dimensional tapestries. While augmenting the uniqueness of the work, the implementation of found objects show that nothing, and thereby no one, is truly useless. All have a place in this world.

As a multi-award winning artist, she has earned awards for her metal statues, creative writing, web site design, and photography. In 2001, she served as an artist-in-residence for Bay Pines VA Hospital.

In 2002, she created the first "Dragon*con Art Salon." This specialized art tour was designed in conjunction with the internationally attended Dragon*con Convention as a way to introduce the public to attending artists, the works displayed in the art show, and to stress the importance of art in society.

She has presented numerous art-related workshops, including the "Wired on Venus," "Found Object Art," and "Ghosthunting 101" seminars at the Dali Museum.

She is a member of the Arts Center, The Exhibiting Society of Artists (TESA), Women Artists Rising (WAR), and the Art Pros Group. Ms. Stark also spent two years as an art reporter for the St. Petersburg Times, and has written for Bayside News, www.sterlingpowell.com, Pug Talk Magazine, and the Pinellas Informer. She continues to write for www.carolineyork.com.

Ms. Stark graduated with her Masters in Religious Studies from the University of South Florida and is continuing her education in the field of the Humanities. She presently teaches World Religions and Humanities at St. Petersburg College, the University of Tampa, Eckerd College, and Hillsborough Community College.