Hi, I’m Amber---industrial artist and founding force behind Refinerii Studios.
I design and fabricate custom awards, trophies, and sculptural wall pieces that feel heavy, honest, and built to last. Think industrial architecture meets quiet strength: raw steel, visible bolts, rusted copper accents, and clean mechanical lines that celebrate grit, legacy & milestones.
My story started in Idaho where I grew up in a small mountain town hours away from any stoplight. Eventually I landed in Boise & began learning metal work, with the idea of eventually making large scale sculpture & public art. I started small, with metal bookends, candle holders, & such: selling at local markets, where I was invited to display in local galleries. My work grew in size & took on a distinct industrial style. Everything shifted when a construction client asked me to create awards using materials from that world — cable, steel, hardware. Those pieces became keepsakes, and 15 years later I'm still making their annual awards. That’s when I knew: the right object can anchor a moment in time.
Today my shop lives in the woods on the Gulf Coast of Texas: after packing the entire studio into a box truck, trailer, and old RV, I’m rebuilding the new "refinery" where I sketch ideas by hand, test experimental finishes, and make pieces that feel like artifacts from another time or place.
When I’m not in the shop, you’ll find me exploring southern backroads in our camper van with my husband, tending our little flock of chickens, or improving our patch of woods.
I design and fabricate custom metal awards, wall art and sculptural objects that honor the substance of real effort.
My process begins with pencil on paper: sketching forms that balance industrial logic with intuitive judgment, then moves into material testing, fabrication, and finishing of the metals.
I work primarily with industrial materials: heavy steel, layered rusted copper, visible fasteners, and architectural elements that carry the raw honesty of fabrication. These aren’t decorative choices; they are central to the art. The exposed seams, material tension, and patina of age allow each piece to embody grit, endurance, and process—qualities I explore as both sculptor and maker. Drawing from my background in public art and industrial fabrication, I let the inherent language of metal speak: strength without polish, complexity without concealment.
I’m drawn to the quiet dialogue between strength and restraint. These objects don’t perform or decorate; they anchor meaning. In an era of fleeting recognition, they offer permanence: tangible proof that something real was built, sustained, or overcome.
Limited commissions are available through 2026.
Get in touch if you would like to talk about marking a milestone, creating a monument, or celebrating an achievement.