Duncan J. Berry
B.S. Biology
M.S. Natural Sciences

An artist’s bio-

My mother signed me up for community art classes at the Park Forest, Illinois public library when I was nine years old. My first formal art course was a classic figure drawing course. I was frustrated with the unimaginative cut and paste art classes at my elementary school. Later, my dad steered me away from the fine arts as a college choice. He was the first generation in the family to go to college and he wanted me to make a “sensible” choice for a major. I ended up being a research lab assistant, then a science teacher, and finally a librarian. I did art on the side and turned my hobbies into courses for young people.

My artistic interests are varied: photography, ceramics, painting, drawing, print making, digital art, metal, and multimedia. My passion, above all, is blacksmithing and re-purposing junk into something else. I enjoy taking synthetic materials and creating something inspired by nature. In my college years, I was a part-time farrier for five years. I liked forging and welding more than putting shoes on horses. I retired in 2022 and divide my time between helping out with ranching, keeping an eye on my mother, Ham radio, and my work spaces.

My favorite artists and photographers are: Pablo Picasso, Man Ray, Imogene Cunningham, and Claude Monet.