Delaware dentist fills his love of art and nature with copper [video+photos]

Dr. Ed Yalisove loves nature and art. He found a way to combine them in the basement of his Wilmington dental practice.

Dr. Yalisove taught himself how to cut copper out of big sheets to create the leaves, feathers or critters that make his pieces come to life.

Copper trees, fish, butterflies, horses and all manner of critters greet visitors and patients alike to Dr. Yalisove’s dental offices.

“I’m a dentist, I love dentistry, I enjoy working with patients,” Dr. Yalisove said. When not working with patients in his office, you can find him in the basement where he uses copper, wood and his tools to turn sheets of metal into works of art.

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It all started about five years ago when Dr. Yalisove’s sister gave him the opportunity to purchase a copper mobile for his garden. He didn’t like the style, so he decided to make one himself.

Dr. Yalisove gave himself one year to do the project. He bought some copper, and within four months he had a hawk mobile for his garden.

He continued to work with the copper and, after about a year, decided to branch out. “I started doing some copper trees in wood bases and its been evolving ever since,” Dr. Yalisove said.

There are lots of interesting things to see in Dr. Yalisove’s basement workshop. His father was also a dentist and in the basement you can find old dental drill stations and other implements as well as all kinds of wood, tools and, of course, copper.

One of the more interesting items is a simple workbench, a bench with a story and some history.

Dr. Yalisove was attending an estate sale, looking for some art to purchase when he spotted the workbench. He purchased the bench for $100 and was told it was owned by Aurelius Renzetti. Renzetti was an artist living in Arden, Delaware who passed away in the ’70s.

Dr. Yalisove’s parents were good friends with Renzetti. Dr. Yalisove’s father would take him to Renzetti’s studio to watch the artist work, which inspired a young Dr. Yalisove. “For him it was the process of doing artwork not hurry up and get it done,” Dr. Yalisove said.

That work ethic made an impression and Dr. Yalisove tries to keep it in mind when he is working on his pieces. “Just enjoy the process.”

If Dr. Yalisove is struggling with a piece, he seeks Renzetti’s advice. “I mentally ask Aurelius for his help and sometimes I get an answer,” Dr. Yalisove said.

The act of creation has been particularly enjoyable for Dr. Yalisove. He may have an idea in his head as to what he wants to make, but he has figure out how to make it happen.

Dr. Yalisove considers himself a dentist first, “I consider dentistry number one, art is secondary.”

He hopes to continue dentistry for years to come, but also to grow in his art and see where it takes him.

Dr. Yalisove is driven by his love of nature and desire to make people smile. Both through his dental work and his artwork.

“I want people to enjoy nature and to appreciate nature, to get out in nature. I also want people to smile”.

 You can get more information on Dr. Yalisove’s art when you visit him on the web.

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