David Groenjes (@davidgroenjesart)
Welcome to this week's #benchmarkspotlight (formerly the #weldershowcase) - we had the opportunity to sit down with David from @davidgroenjesart and talk a little shop.
If you would like to be featured in our weekly spotlight (100% FREE) and have a chance at winning one of our Grinder Hoods please send us an email to leo.benchmarkabrasives@gmail.com to get you scheduled in an upcoming week. And for those of you that take the time to share your story with us, we'd be happy to provide a free BA banner. These spotlights are intended to highlight your skill, your business, and your tips and tricks. Most of all it's to have a little fun!
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Name: David Groenjes
Business Name: DG Sculpture & Design Location: DePere Wisconsin Website: www.davidgroenjesart.com
Specialties: Wildlife Sculpture using recycled and repurposed metal
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Tell us about yourself - what inspired you to get into your trade? And how long? I’ve always been an avid outdoorsman and have a background in auto repair and natural resources. In addition I’ve always loved art and all those things just kind of came together in this art form. I have an Uncle that was into metal sculpture that inspired me years ago. I really dug in and started playing around with sculpture around 2014 and then around 2018 started to get serious about it. In 2021 I started doing artwork full time.
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What keeps you motivated throughout the day? When art is a full time career, motivation is super important, although not always easy. Some days I’m just not feeling it, those are cleaning and organization days. Other days I’m on fire, and those are the days to take advantage of the time to the fullest. Simply going for a walk in the woods or browsing wildlife photos on the internet are typically enough to spark an interest for me on my next project. Keeping a schedule helps me stay on track too. I track my hours in the shop and monitor it to ensure I’m staying productive. |
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What is your favorite shop tool and why? Small angle die-grinder. I use these with assorted 2” quick attach abrasive discs. This is my go to for smoothing out rough edges, sanding, and polishing. I do lots of small sculpture work and this allows me to get into small areas that a typical larger grinder will not. |
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What's your favorite piece that you've worked on? I have lots of favorites, although my all time favorite is a “The Junkyard Dog” A full size doberman made with automotive parts among other things. Of all the sculptures I’ve sold, this is the one that I wish I still had. |
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If you could have any job as it relates to question 1 what would it be and what would you do with that? I’m doing it! Being a wildlife artist that works with recycled materials really brought things all together for me. My college degree is in natural resource conservation and much of my adult work history is in auto mechanics. All of these things come together making wildlife sculptures with recycled materials. It’s sustainable with little environmental impact, plus I’m repurposing many things that would end up in a landfill, or never utilized again. |
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What BA product is your favorite and why?
2” quick attach discs and 4 ½” flap discs. While I’ll admit I really dislike grinding, it’s necessary and these have been great products for the job.
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What BA product surprised you in terms of quality - what about it set it apart from the competition?
The T1 Premium 4 ½” thin cut-off wheels really seem to outlast others I’ve used. I’d been buying random hardware store cut off wheels and burning through them pretty quick. These have been a great addition and time saver since I'm changing wheels less frequently.
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If there was one person you could collaborate with - who would it be and why?
Ryan Kirby, Ryan is a fantastic wildlife painter and sketch artist from North Carolina.(Ryankirby.com) Following along on his journey was one of the things that gave me the motivation to try artwork as a full time profession. His passion for art, conservation, and the hunting community really align with my own values.
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Do you have any advice for the next generation that you wish you had when you first started?
Don’t be afraid to do something you are passionate about, even if it seems a little non-traditional. I held myself back for too long. But at the same time, be smart about it. There's a right time for everything and do not rush it, you need to take care of yourself and family too. Be yourself and be original, if you are dedicated to your craft, it will show and you will end up where you want to be.
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What are your future plans for your shop?
The studio is expanding really soon. I’ve been using about ⅓ of my current building for too long. Soon I’ll be taking over the whole shop just for art which will really allow me to expand in terms of equipment. I’ll have more work stations so I can do multiple projects going at once as well as much larger sculptures If I choose. I’m most excited about adding a small office/ showroom area so I can have a clean area to display some of my finished work before It goes off to its new home.
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Thanks for sitting with us and sharing your story with the community - is there anything you'd like to add?
I had purchased from a few other large abrasive companies in the past and had some issues with customer service, or lack of it. Being told I was using a product wrong was the reason for failure made me start looking for another company and brought me to Benchmark Abrasives. One small glitch with a product from Benchmark and the customer service response was amazingly positive! This is what we need in this country, real people with real service!
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A Note From Leo
Thanks for sharing your story with us, David! Thank you for the kind words about our service and product. It truly means a lot and we really do strive to create the best experience for everyone - whether it be with the tools or our relationship with them. And as for waiting for the right time to take the plunge into full time art - when exactly is the right time? I'm still waiting.. I feel like I'm always repeating the same response in every interview. LOL