AGAWAM COMMUNITY ARTISTS AND ARTISANS

SPOTLIGHT ARTISAN      JANUARY 2023

PETE MONES

Pete Mones, one of the newer members of the Agawam Community Artists and Artisans, lives in West Springfield with his wife, Jodi. Pete was born and raised on Long Island, NY. In 1991 he relocated to Western Massachusetts with Jodi and their two children to pursue his career. He has a passion for construction, and retired in 2016 as a Director of Technical Operations and Construction after 32 years in the telecommunication industry.

Pete considers himself a hands-on guy. He loves working around the house or on his 1953 Chevy pickup, which he has passionately restored. He is an avid downhill skier and loves the outdoors. Pete loves spending time with Jodi, and together they enjoy traveling, going to rock festivals/concerts, hiking, camping, visiting breweries, and especially, spending time with their two grandchildren.

After retiring, Pete began building his unique clocks after he had removed a large section of copper sheeting from the roof of his house. Then, a good friend gave him some slabs of live “edge wood” (the natural, un-sawn edge left on at least one side of a piece of wood) and he was inspired to combine the two materials. He began experimenting with different designs and concepts (which he claims are still evolving today), trying to make each clock unique,

endowing them with whimsical characteristics -- no two are ever the same. He will often stare at a section of wood for long periods of time to decide how to cut it for the best effect. After he builds the body of the clock, he applies the copper for the face, and then creates a swinging pendulum that finishes the piece, turning it into a beautiful work of art. He is constantly on the lookout for interesting materials, such as barnboards, to incorporate into his pieces. On a recent trip to Montauk, Long Island, he found several cut-off sections of old post-and-rail fencing. He used these to craft clocks where the pendulums swing freely within the space of the missing rail. Generously, many of his unique clocks have been gifted to friends and family.

Pete’s favorite artists are Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso. He loves how they both stretched the imagination, and feels that they created art that challenges the mind. Pete’s grandfather and great uncle were artists as well, and he believes he gets his talents from them. In addition to his clockwork art pieces, Pete also works with polymer clay to create small figurines. His best customer is his grandson, who always asks his “Papa” to make his favorite Nintendo or cartoon characters – precious reflections of Pete’s talent that will be treasured for a lifetime!