Charleston Harbor the night H L Hunley sank the Housatonic
5' H x 20' W
1.524 x 6.096 m
Treasure of the View by Lex Melfi
Sand Carved Glass
Lex
Melfi was born and raised in
Summerville
,
SC.
He comes from a large Italian
Catholic family that descended to
Charleston
in 1847. A strong work ethic
was instilled in him from a very young age.
As a young man, he took a job as a plumber and later became a
structural ironworker. He had a
passion for the outdoors and loved to travel. However, these professions did
not allow him to experience life to its fullest
potential. He
moved to
Carmel
,
California
and was exposed to the art world with all of its cultural diversity.
He was moved and inspired by art but did not realize at the time that
he was an artist himself.
After
living in
Miami
for four years and leaving his known profession behind, he was sent to a
tempering plant to pick up a piece of tempered glass. After
stepping out of his truck he discovered another vehicle parked with
a piece of ”sand carved glass”. At the time, Lex did
not know what the glass was called or how it was created. The beauty
overwhelmed him. He told
himself at that moment that this is what he wanted to do for a life long
profession.
With
much determination, Lex found someone to teach him how to do this work. His
instructor found that he was a natural and within a couple of hours was able
to create something that was marketable. He made a promise to his mentor that
the process would not be shared with anyone else and that he would not go out
on his own for at least 10 years. He
kept his promise and years later
moved back to his hometown of Summerville where he founded “Treasure of the
View.” He landed his first job
thirteen years ago, carving eight panels that measured eight foot tall for the
Bell
Tower
at Grace Episcopal Church in
Charleston
,
SC.
He later created a
piece of The Charleston Harbor
the night H L Hunley sank the
Housatonic
. It measured 5’H and 20’W and
is being displayed at The Naval Weapons Station in
Charleston
.
His
love for the outdoors and the sea inspired him to sail from San Louis Obispo,
California
to
Miami
through the
Panama Canal
. He spent an entire year on the
boat studying marine life. He has toured
Mexico City
to go to the
Museum
of
Anthropology
, with much interest in The Ancient Mayan and Aztec Pyramids, Ruins and
Civilizations. These experiences have led him to create some true
masterpieces that have captured a realistic view of marine life in their
habitat.
Utilizing his creative ideas and technical background,
enhancement of light systems, and accent paints; help create the unique
artwork that is now sought after. What
distinguishes Lex’s artwork is his relentless pursuit of detail combined
with his limitless imagination and innovative technical skill.
The process of sand carving involves digging into the glass rather than
scratching the surface. This gives
the piece a more 3-dimentional appearance.
It is a very technical process and if not done correctly can easily
fracture the glass. His mastery of
this art and his love for Mr. Harvey’s work has led him to be commissioned
by Scout Boats. He has created a piece depicting Mr. Harvey’s work, in the
form of sand carved glass, for all boats that are
32’
and over. Lex is a man with a
vision, and endless opportunity at his doorstep, or rather sand carving booth.
Grace Memorial Bridge in
Charleston, South Carolina USA
5' H x 16' W
1.524 x 4.826 m
click on photo to see larger picture