If One Person's Trash is Another Person's Treasure, Then Joe Clifton is a Prosperous Man. Monday through Friday, Clifton realizes the rewards of a successful career as manager of the geographic information system (GIS) and data management departments for PacifiCorp (Portland, Oregon, U.S.). On weekends and holidays, Clifton can be found in the driver's seat of his one-ton dual-wheel truck, hauling a trailer of his latest riches — sculptures made primarily from recycled metal and glass — to one of the numerous premier art shows at which the artist has been invited to exhibit.

Raised on his family's farm near Little Birch, West Virginia, U.S., Clifton learned from an early age to make do with items that were on hand. “Back then, Home Depot and Wal-Mart were a twinkle in someone else's eye,” he says. “So we had to scavenge materials from abandoned vehicles and other used farm equipment. Old car leaf spring made an excellent hoe, and discarded tires were used to hold the cornstalk roof on the cow shed.”

During his early teens, Clifton began welding pieces of broken farm equipment into sculptures and discovered he had a natural talent for the craft. However, the budding artist's career was put on hold when his father decided to relocate the family to the Pacific Northwest in 1976.

“That move took my life in a different direction,” Clifton says. “I went to work for Group W, a cable TV company. From there, I joined a phone company doing contract projects. Six years ago, PacifiCorp hired me as a field supervisor. Then, I became a project manager for the field operations business improvement group. Last year, I accepted the manager role for the GIS and data management departments.”

Fourteen years ago, Clifton met and married his wife, Mackie, and between them they have four children. Mackie, a successful clay artist, encouraged her husband to once again explore his creative side, and Clifton took her advice. Twelve years ago, he took the plunge and decided to sell his sculptures to the public. Today, the couple creates sculptures together and attends around 32 art shows a year, displaying and marketing their one-of-a-kind creations. “We're very fortunate to be able to share this passion together and not be the greatest collector of our own work,” says Clifton.

In addition to animal sculptures, Clifton creates modern abstract-type pieces that consist of metal and glass together. “Animals seemed a natural place to start, with all of the inspiration the farm provided. The abstracts are inspired by movies from the 1950s and '60s and the futuristic themes they often displayed,” says Clifton. “In keeping with my earlier work on the farm, I strive to work with recycled materials. Each piece is typically crafted from 75% to 90% of reused and/or found metals. In fact, I use approximately 70,000 pieces of recycled silverware a year.”

In addition to selling their art, the Cliftons donate a substantial amount of it to various charities, including the Oregon Burn Center, the American Cancer Society and CASA for Children, an independent not-for-profit organization serving abused and neglected children. Clifton also serves on the board of directors for Cracked Pots, a nonprofit recycling education organization, and is a member of Rotary International. “Being able to share with people and give back to the community is a pretty incredible gift,” he says.

Although some people might view working for an electric utility and sculpting metal as a dichotomy, Clifton says he's surprised at how much they overlap. “My work for the utility is analytical, while my art is creative,” he says. “Yet, the process of figuring out how to put glass and metal together helps me back at work with my problem-solving skills. And the management skills I use from 8 to 5 have helped me be successful at running my art business. I've been able to blend the right and left sides of my brain together and get the best out of both of them.”

When it comes to the future, Clifton finds it hard to imagine his life without art. “I'm only 48, but I know this is what I want to do full time after I retire,” he says. “Mackie and I have met some incredible people at the art shows. We know people who are 75 years old and still creating and exhibiting art.”

As for his career in the power industry, Clifton also sees it continuing to flourish. “It's a great profession,” he says. “I manage the GIS and data management departments, and am responsible for GIS data related to field operations, joint-use attachments, hydro and wind resources and their web-based viewers. I also work with operations and other groups to design and build technical tools that help make their everyday tasks easier. One of our proudest achievements is our Geographic Information System Maintenance Organizer (GISMO), which has improved the way we manage our pole maintenance program. There's nothing here but opportunity, and our management team has been very supportive of my work — both inside and outside the company.”

To find out more about Joe Clifton's sculptures, visit his website at www.cliftonmetalworks.com.