Native, Veteran, College
Jack H. Price was born in
the early part of 1933, just
outside the small dirt
farming and copper mining
town of Duncan, Arizona,
USA. Jack graduated from
Duncan High School and
soon thereafter enlisted in
the United States Air
Force. Following service as
an officer in the USAF, Jack
graduated in 1968 from
Arizona State University
with a Bachelor in Science
Electrical Engineering.
Jack H. Price was born in the early part of 1933 in the small dirt farming and copper mining town of Duncan, Arizona, USA. Alternately living with his birth family in Duncan or in the neighboring town of Morenci, Arizona, USA, Jack experienced a mostly normal life from cradle through high school. During that time, Jack spent many non-school hours of his formative years performing the hard and earnest labors necessarily expected from a member of a farming and ranching family living off of the land in the still “Wild West” of the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s. A “mostly normal life” is noted here on account of the fact that Jack had never been granted the occasion, or even the expectation, of utilizing a “flush toilet” until his first encounter with the newfangled contraption during his freshman year at Duncan High School.
Looking down on the Town of
Duncan, Arizona, from hilltop.
Courtesy Greenlee County Library.
In 1952, Jack left the farm and his team of horses behind in order to enlist as a team member in the United States Air Force, where he was soon thereafter assigned to Cadet Training School. Following his commission to officer as a newly minted Second Lieutenant, Jack saw his beginning service as the Navigator/Bombardier member of a flight crew on a Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" just as the Korean Conflict was ending. At the time Jack was promoted to the rank of Captain, and during what has been called the height of the Cold War, Jack was serving as the Navigator/Bombardier member of a flight crew aboard a Boeing B-52 "Stratofortress," the largest aircraft ever deployed by the United States Air Force and the most technologically advanced and combat capable long-range bomber defending United States interests at that time.
Looking down on the Town of
Duncan, Arizona, from hilltop.
Courtesy Greenlee County Library.
In 1952, Jack left the farm and his team of horses behind in order to enlist as a team member in the United States Air Force, where he was soon thereafter assigned to Cadet Training School. Following his commission to officer as a newly minted Second Lieutenant, Jack saw his beginning service as the Navigator/Bombardier member of a flight crew on a Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" just as the Korean Conflict was ending. At the time Jack was promoted to the rank of Captain, and during what has been called the height of the Cold War, Jack was serving as the Navigator/Bombardier member of a flight crew aboard a Boeing B-52 "Stratofortress," the largest aircraft ever deployed by the United States Air Force and the most technologically advanced and combat capable long-range bomber defending United States interests at that time.
Engineer, Manager
Jack was employed by
major companies such as
TRW, Inc. (Thompson Ramo
Wooldridge Inc.) in
California, as an Engineer,
and later by Motorola, Inc.,
as Manager, in Arizona.
Jack went on to found his
own computer sales and
maintenance company.
Pilot
Jack holds a private pilot
certificate with instrument
rating.
Jack’s first medium of expression, in serious pursuit of his artistic voice during early adulthood, was the spreading of pigments upon canvas. Although Jack found that being a painter was satisfying in its multi-colored way, this form of expression left Jack feeling an incomplete satisfaction; like the feeling one gets by attempting to scratch an itch in a hard-to-reach area of one’s body, getting very close to, but not really scratching, the itch.
Jack comfortably and pleasurably took to drawing from black to white and through many shades of gray, during the period of his production of both charcoal drawings and pencil drawings. Jack's portrait of a Native American is shown below. In 1956, at age 23, Jack’s drawing culminated in a life-like drawing of Mark, his first born son, expressing the giggling joy of an infant, which is on the one hand fleeting and by another hand captured for posterity. Even so, there was an itch yet to scratch.
And perhaps it was a subconscious desire to scratch at that figurative itch which served as the impetus for, or at least a motivating factor in, Jack’s woodcarving series of animal figurines. With a finely sharpened pocket-knife and a dozen blocks of sawed-off two-by-four lumber, Jack created a one-of-a-kind set of animals, carved up to be one-of-each-kind. These were completed in 1963, when jack was a 30 year old father of five children.
Jack eventually found his true footing in his life as an artist, but not yet a scratch for the itch, beginning with the clay at his feet, first creating in similar clay the lifelike sculpted busts of his two young sons. A short time later, in the early 1960’s, Jack partnered with his artistically inclined wife, Ann, to work with clay which they would “fire” in their own kiln to produce ceramics in many forms. By the early 1970’s, Jack had hit his artistic stride, having progressed without pre-planned intention through artistic conventions from painting and drawing, through woodcarving and clay sculpting. It had come time for Jack to make bronze sculptures from models he had rendered in the mediums of clay, wax, brass, and welded steel; the creatively expressive activity which scratched Jack’s driving itch.
The words “welded steel” and “brass” may, where presented, paint in the mind’s eye too fancy a picture of what Jack was actually doing in the early days of producing his sculptures. Jack’s initial group of sculptures made of “welded steel” were all created with his superb artistic talent utilizing an oxyacetylene torch, an impromptu pile of discarded hay baling wire, and a broad scattering of old bed springs. The “brass” for casting was originally derived from discarded plumbing fixtures (old brass faucets). The original foundry for bronze casting was built by hand, by Jack, in the backyard of his residence in Arizona, USA. To this day, it is occasionally difficult for art enthusiasts, as well as experienced collectors, to believe that with a gas torch, baling wire, old bed springs, and worn-out plumbing fixtures Jack had created the one-of-a-kind pieces of fine artwork which formed the original foundation for his individual groups of each Limited Edition series of Nature Sculpted™ bronze sculptures.
Recently, and briefly, Jack had an interest in creating artwork through use of a Plasma Cutter, resulting in steel works such as the Cowboy Driving Cattle, pictured below.
Jack continues to create one-of-a-kind sculptures of welded steel, both on a custom buyer commissioned basis upon request and as additions to the expanding foundation supporting individual groups of his Limited Edition series of Nature Sculpted™ bronze sculptures.
A Little Bit About The Awards Presented for the Artwork of Jack H. Price
Jack has entered only four of his many sculptures into juried art shows and exhibits, with each of these sculptures garnering either a First Place or Second Place Ribbon in its respective class of competition. (More on this on our Sculpture For Sale page, which you can be taken to by clicking the link.)
An original welded steel sculpture created by Jack and entitled, simply and aptly, Moose was granted the honor of designation as “First Place” award winner in the sculpture division at the juried art show and exhibit held in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, featuring southwest artists. The “Blue Ribbon” was presented to Jack by Art Show Master of Ceremony, and Arizona Automotive Celebrity, Lou Grubb. This Moose sculpture is made of welded baling wire.
Through select invitation to Jack from the City of Mesa, the 119 centimeters tall welded steel sculpture known as Reach of the Bald Eagle was temporarily placed in prominent display, during its debut public appearance, on one corner of a major street intersection in downtown Mesa, Arizona, USA. On April 02, 2016, Reach of the Bald Eagle won the First Place Ribbon upon its debut entry into a competitive art show, when exhibited at the juried competition of the Third Annual Recycle Arts Festival, Fashion Show, and Art Exhibit, sponsored by the - one hundred and fifty member strong - WHAM Organization of Surprise, Arizona, USA. This life-size Eagle sculpture is made of welded baling wire and bed springs.
Just Ropin’ is one of Jack’s early bronze sculptures, alternately named The Roper, which depicts a horse mounted cowboy in the frozen motion of preparing to let loose his rope, presumed to be roping in a non-depicted, stray steer. A First Place ribbon was awarded to Jack and The Roper during an artist search, exhibition and competition sponsored by the Semiconductor Products Sector of Motorola, Inc. in Mesa, Arizona, USA. A unique reproduction of this sculpture is on permanent display in the Duncan City Library, Duncan, Arizona, USA.
Jack comfortably and pleasurably took to drawing from black to white and through many shades of gray, during the period of his production of both charcoal drawings and pencil drawings. Jack's portrait of a Native American is shown below. In 1956, at age 23, Jack’s drawing culminated in a life-like drawing of Mark, his first born son, expressing the giggling joy of an infant, which is on the one hand fleeting and by another hand captured for posterity. Even so, there was an itch yet to scratch.
And perhaps it was a subconscious desire to scratch at that figurative itch which served as the impetus for, or at least a motivating factor in, Jack’s woodcarving series of animal figurines. With a finely sharpened pocket-knife and a dozen blocks of sawed-off two-by-four lumber, Jack created a one-of-a-kind set of animals, carved up to be one-of-each-kind. These were completed in 1963, when jack was a 30 year old father of five children.
Jack eventually found his true footing in his life as an artist, but not yet a scratch for the itch, beginning with the clay at his feet, first creating in similar clay the lifelike sculpted busts of his two young sons. A short time later, in the early 1960’s, Jack partnered with his artistically inclined wife, Ann, to work with clay which they would “fire” in their own kiln to produce ceramics in many forms. By the early 1970’s, Jack had hit his artistic stride, having progressed without pre-planned intention through artistic conventions from painting and drawing, through woodcarving and clay sculpting. It had come time for Jack to make bronze sculptures from models he had rendered in the mediums of clay, wax, brass, and welded steel; the creatively expressive activity which scratched Jack’s driving itch.
The words “welded steel” and “brass” may, where presented, paint in the mind’s eye too fancy a picture of what Jack was actually doing in the early days of producing his sculptures. Jack’s initial group of sculptures made of “welded steel” were all created with his superb artistic talent utilizing an oxyacetylene torch, an impromptu pile of discarded hay baling wire, and a broad scattering of old bed springs. The “brass” for casting was originally derived from discarded plumbing fixtures (old brass faucets). The original foundry for bronze casting was built by hand, by Jack, in the backyard of his residence in Arizona, USA. To this day, it is occasionally difficult for art enthusiasts, as well as experienced collectors, to believe that with a gas torch, baling wire, old bed springs, and worn-out plumbing fixtures Jack had created the one-of-a-kind pieces of fine artwork which formed the original foundation for his individual groups of each Limited Edition series of Nature Sculpted™ bronze sculptures.
Recently, and briefly, Jack had an interest in creating artwork through use of a Plasma Cutter, resulting in steel works such as the Cowboy Driving Cattle, pictured below.
Jack continues to create one-of-a-kind sculptures of welded steel, both on a custom buyer commissioned basis upon request and as additions to the expanding foundation supporting individual groups of his Limited Edition series of Nature Sculpted™ bronze sculptures.
A Little Bit About The Awards Presented for the Artwork of Jack H. Price
Jack has entered only four of his many sculptures into juried art shows and exhibits, with each of these sculptures garnering either a First Place or Second Place Ribbon in its respective class of competition. (More on this on our Sculpture For Sale page, which you can be taken to by clicking the link.)
An original welded steel sculpture created by Jack and entitled, simply and aptly, Moose was granted the honor of designation as “First Place” award winner in the sculpture division at the juried art show and exhibit held in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, featuring southwest artists. The “Blue Ribbon” was presented to Jack by Art Show Master of Ceremony, and Arizona Automotive Celebrity, Lou Grubb. This Moose sculpture is made of welded baling wire.
Through select invitation to Jack from the City of Mesa, the 119 centimeters tall welded steel sculpture known as Reach of the Bald Eagle was temporarily placed in prominent display, during its debut public appearance, on one corner of a major street intersection in downtown Mesa, Arizona, USA. On April 02, 2016, Reach of the Bald Eagle won the First Place Ribbon upon its debut entry into a competitive art show, when exhibited at the juried competition of the Third Annual Recycle Arts Festival, Fashion Show, and Art Exhibit, sponsored by the - one hundred and fifty member strong - WHAM Organization of Surprise, Arizona, USA. This life-size Eagle sculpture is made of welded baling wire and bed springs.
Just Ropin’ is one of Jack’s early bronze sculptures, alternately named The Roper, which depicts a horse mounted cowboy in the frozen motion of preparing to let loose his rope, presumed to be roping in a non-depicted, stray steer. A First Place ribbon was awarded to Jack and The Roper during an artist search, exhibition and competition sponsored by the Semiconductor Products Sector of Motorola, Inc. in Mesa, Arizona, USA. A unique reproduction of this sculpture is on permanent display in the Duncan City Library, Duncan, Arizona, USA.
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A Little Bit About The Artist
Photograph of Boeing B-52
autographed by Jack's crew.
autographed by Jack's crew.
The patience, concentration, precision and over-all attention to detail necessary as a job requirement in order for Jack to satisfactorily navigate both the B-36 and the B-52 was not altogether taught by the Air Force or learned by Jack as a recruit, but rather had been refined from the already existing elements of those qualities apparent in the artistic being of Jack since childhood.
Tie Rack made by Jack at 11 years of age.
Bird Dog No.1 painted by Jack at 16 years of age. Oil on cardboard with Yucca wood frame 45cm x 60cm.
Bird Dog No.2 painted by Jack at 16 years of age. Oil on cardboard with Yucca wood frame 38cm x 53cm.
Portrait of Native American.
Pencil on paper. 19cm x 28cm.
Pencil on paper. 19cm x 28cm.
Portrait of Mark Price, age 1 year.
Pencil on paper. 21cm x 28cm.
Pencil on paper. 21cm x 28cm.
Caricature of a bull. Wood 10cm x 15cm.
Bighorn No. 2 with Award Ribbons.
Moose with Award Ribbons.