When Steel N Wood artist Neil Pedersen set up for the annual Northville Rotary Woodworking and Fine Arts show last summer, he stashed two large bins of additional sculptures and woodworking creations underneath his already fully stocked, U-shaped display tables. The fact that, by noon on the last day of the three-day event, both bins sat empty speaks to the immense popularity of this intriguing artist’s work. One whimsical piece, however—which Pedersen christened ‘Hilda’—kept watch over his wares the entire weekend. Sporting coiled springs for hair, spoon eyes and scissor glasses, apple corer mouth and a driftwood nose, Hilda served as the artist’s mascot/companion throughout the show. 

“I didn’t expect that one to sell,” Pedersen remarks. “It’s just a little bit of insanity.”

“And FUN!” chirps a smiling woman, browsing nearby.

The unexpected pairing of diverse materials is a hallmark of Pedersen’s sculptures. Deeply committed to repurposing, the artist uses pretty much anything and everything in his creations, from the tiniest screws and washers to silverware and cooking utensils, bicycle chains and sprockets, saw blades, Venetian blinds, even piano hammers. Pedersen’s wildly creative, often humorous metal sculptures draw people in. They enjoy trying to identify the many components involved in a piece, while marveling at the intricacy and beauty of the finished product.  

Although Pedersen occasionally frequents flea markets in search of low-cost materials, he acquires many useful items for free by the side of the road. “I usually ask people if they mind if I take things,” he says, “and they’re usually receptive. A friend of mine, who has a 150-year-old farm machinery graveyard on his property, has given me permission to help myself to anything I need. I’m all for repurposing things.” 

Pedersen’s 2000-square-foot workshop also houses an impressive supply of materials left over from his half-century career as a cabinet maker. After working 25 years for two different contractors, he took a leap of faith and went into business for himself. Upon his retirement 25 years later, his spacious workshop became a kind of man cave/studio where he could pursue his own artistic vision. 

‘Learning to weld’ had always figured prominently on Pedersen’s bucket list. In 2013, he finally purchased a welder and taught himself the craft. Armed with this new skill, he began pairing scrap metal and his fertile imagination to create what he referred to as “junk art.” But don’t let the name fool you—Pedersen’s work is anything but junk! The industrial elegance of his art is both eye-catching and mind-boggling. By fusing commonplace items in uncommon combinations, he creates incredible pieces that prompt viewers to stop, study, and smile.       

Pedersen and his wife Sharon—whom he describes as “very understanding”—reside in Galway with their two cats and one German Shepherd. While Pedersen creates his Steel N Wood products in a separate building, Sharon is busy making cheesecakes, tea breads, and cakes for her own business, Cheesecakes & More. “I’m out in my workshop all day, and she’s downstairs in the house in her basement kitchen. We hardly see each other,” Pedersen quips. 

Neil Pedersen grew up in Scotia. At age 12, he purchased a 1953 Shopsmith—a professional multipurpose woodworking tool—and proceeded to teach himself the fine art of woodworking. Now 69, he can’t remember a time when he wasn’t creating something with wood. Today, working both with wood and steel, Pedersen participates in three big shows yearly: the Northville Rotary Woodworking and Fine Arts Show in July, Rotterdam Junction’s Mabee Farm Arts & Crafts Fall Festival in October, and the Barn at the Bridge Annual Artisan Fair in Burnt Hills, the first weekend in November. His work is also displayed at the William Coffey Gallery in Northville.

Pedersen admits that packaging and transporting his work for shows is “a nightmare.” But it’s a necessary evil for any artisan who wants to get his work out there for others to see and enjoy. Personable with a quick wit, he always enjoys interacting with people, gauging their reactions to his art and listening to their comments. 

“In a perfect world, I might only enter juried shows,” says Pedersen, who received a blue ribbon at the 2019 Northeast Woodworkers Association Show in Saratoga for professional excellence in the Totally Woodturning category. “Juried shows compel artists to do and bring their best. The competition is stiff, and I welcome that. Bring it on!” 

Pedersen regularly plies his woodworking trade by making fine wooden bowls in assorted sizes, rustic burl bowls, root ball bowls, goblets, vases, and his ever-popular ‘dizzy bowls.’ Wildly colorful, these intricately layered bowls require a meticulous process of dyeing, gluing, slicing, and orientating the pieces in a circular motion. “Dizzy bowls are not as hard to make as they appear,” the woodworker explains. “They’re just time-intensive, consisting of up to 90 different layers.”

Neil Pedersen only does one-off pieces, and he welcomes commissions. “The more challenging, the better,” he enthuses. “If you can dream it, I can make it. I can probably make it, that is—and the crazier, the better.”  

When asked if he’d object to being called a ‘quirky’ artist, Pedersen breaks out in a grin. “I’ve been called worse.” 

To contact Neil Pedersen, call 518-882-1371 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.