Art at Epic

​Vintage Sculpture

Brad and Sundie Ruppert have a fascination with texture and the need to innovate by creating unique mixed media sculptures. Their most recent body of work gives new life to perhaps the oldest textile used today, fur felt, specifically, the remnants trimmed from the brims of felt hats. They have developed a process of cutting, bending and layering the intricate felt pieces over carved wood, creating incredible likenesses of their natural subject matter. These two artists reference multiple photographic images to realistically interpret the color, movement and emotion of their nature-inspired subjects. Sundie explains, “We try to capture the soul that shines through bright eyes, soft fur and sleek feathers.” Brad adds, “Viewers are drawn in by a type of optical illusion. The soulful eyes grab them first. Next, the brain tries to comprehend if they are viewing a painting or a sculpture and then finally, they reach out and touch the soft felt to fully indulge in the experience.”

​Their creative innovations are part of many private and public collections and they have received multiple awards at juried art shows including Best of Show Mixed Media, MMoCA Art Fair on the Square and a juror’s award from Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival. They have also had the honor of exhibiting at Denver’s Cherry Creek Arts Festival and the New Orleans Jazz Festival. ​

515-991-6083​

vintagesculpture@gmail.com​