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A Dose of imagination

| October 17, 2018 1:00 AM

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If you look closely, you can see an old egg beater, spoons, a muffin tin and a bar from an old brass bedframe make up the many interesting pieces of “Victory Tower,” the first large piece of artwork that Pinehurst artist David Dose has crafted in 20 years. Photo by KELSEY WOOD

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The “Old 86” steam engine was built in 1986 because of artist David Dose's love of trains and also because of the scrap pieces he found that he could use to create a train. This piece now sits in front of the Avista building in Kellogg. "I find a piece and it sparks an idea and I just fill in around that piece until I have the entire statue completed," Dose explained. (Courtesy photo)

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“St. George and the Dragon” was artist David Dose's all-time favorite piece when he built it in the late 1980s. Dose took a 20-year break from creating his signature large-scale pieces, but has now returned to the scene with a piece for a private owner, "Victory Tower," and he is eager to create more. (Courtesy photo)

By DEVIN WEEKS

Staff Writer

An old city fire hydrant, pieces of a brass bedframe, gondola struts, four washing machines, egg beaters, a cement mixer and some other odds and ends.

Put them together and what do you get?

An ornate, 17-foot-tall, 1,500-pound clock structure David Dose calls the “Victory Tower.”

“It’s my return victory,” Dose said. “It’s just wonderful to get back in the business.”

After a 20-year hiatus, Dose, of Pinehurst, has returned to his colorful, comical and creative world of grand-scale junk and scrap sculpting.

Pieces of his work have been on display for many years in North Idaho, including in Kellogg where the “Old 86” steam engine sits in front of the Avista office and the “Red Baron” triplane can be found in front of a local store.

He built “Baron” in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a commissioned piece. He said his retired pilot dad and other retired pilots in the neighborhood took interest in the project and contributed their expertise.

“Next thing I know, every day they’re wandering by to give me technical advice for the engine,” Dose said. “They started bringing me parts and I built the engine to look like a real Fokker triplane engine.”

Dose, a former police officer, county commissioner and English and history teacher, has been active as an artist most of his life. He discovered his niche for interesting and whimsical pieces as a college student when he created the “Dark Knight” sculpture for his mom.

“I was too broke to buy my mom a nice present for her birthday, so that summer I built her that knight … very simple, just out of Dad’s scrap pile,” he said. “It was a big hit. People started driving by the house to see it.”

That was the beginning of his exploration into what he could create on the large scale.

“By big, I mean, if it doesn’t weigh 1,000 pounds, there’s something wrong, like if I don’t have to get all my friends to help me move it,” he said. “I like full-sized stuff.”

For Dose, this kind of artform is a lot like cinema. He calls his style “resembleism” and enjoys using antique household items, mining and logging tools and other scrapyard treasures to be the many pieces that make up the whole of one of his works.

“It’s like watching a good movie for me. I’m into a story,” he said. “I’m trying to make sure it looks like a clock, but it’s got to have parts and pieces that tell stories so people are like, ‘Where did those egg beaters come from?’ I’m always thinking through the script and what people are going to say when they’re looking at it.”

“Victory Tower” was created for a private buyer who lives on the edge of Coeur d’Alene. It took Dose about a year from start to finish, including time needed to collect the different parts and the hours needed to integrate them into a Victorian-influenced, slightly steampunk masterpiece. The base was made using three tons of concrete, ironing boards were used to make the bench seats at the bottom and muffin tins, among other unusual items, were used to add a little more texture.

“I was a history and an English teacher, so I’m constantly trying to throw in stuff that would get people to ask, ‘What is that? What was that used for?’” Dose said.

Presently, Dose is the president of StrongHold Security Stewardship, a Coeur d’Alene-based security company that trains Americans who go overseas without armed guards, including those who go abroad for business or humanitarian work.

He had taken the past 20 years off from these large sculptures to raise his family and work, but now Dose is ready to get back into it and hopes to create more pieces for public and private enjoyment.

And it’s more than just a hobby; immersing his artist’s brain into these larger-than-life scultpures allows the noise and worry of the outside world to melt away for a bit.

“I found out that I needed it. It makes a few bucks, but it’s very therapeutic, especially when you’re a teacher,” he said. “With people, you never know when you’re done. With a statue, at least you get closure.

“It’s a great stress reliever, and I’d forgotten about that.”

Dose has a new website coming, www.SpektrumArtWorks.com, that will showcase photos of his work and include details for those interested to learn more.