As Paul Shampine explores new mediums with his new “pod series” Embryonic Armour, the former CEO reflects on the career he’s made manipulating metal in various forms. It’s a genre of art that he’s exceptionally good at, from dealing with hard, cold cash as past Vice President of BankBoston, to his work as a talented sculptor, where his hands subtly maneuver metal into welded works, inspired by nature, and brought alive in various fusions of steel, copper, aluminum, and rust.

Embryonic Armour, features his latest works, mainly embryonic pods which are formed from metal, and envelop material from Mother Nature, serving as protective vessels. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Safelawns.org founded by Paul Tukey, who was referenced by the New York Times as “The Godfather of the Organic Lawn Movement.” Shampine served as CEO for Tukey’s media company, People, Places and Plants for ten years, a partnership that began in an art gallery, where Tukey viewed Shampine’s work, and was intrigued by its botanical influence. “I’m proud to be working with Paul Shampine again, and the theme of Embryonic Armour ties really well to Safelawns even beyond the obvious connection to nature,” said Tukey.  “His artistry represents protection and rebirth against interference, much like Safelawns’ mission to restore our earth and protect it from outside elements.”

For Shampine, sculpture is a respite that has ties to reality and represents a place to plan and problem solve, both in terms of creativity, and life direction.  It’s the one place he’s always returned to along his many paths, which includes a 10 year stint in corporate America to living in his office to try to make things work for a struggling company, couch neatly folded back in place for 8:30 am sharp. I’ve always gone to sculpture to regroup. It brings me back to the basics and retrains my brain,” says Shampine. “It’s a great place to safely parallel much of what life churns out, because though I’ll often start out with an idea, my work goes in different directions and almost never turns out as I initially planned, and certainly, there are challenges along the way. I especially appreciate working with metal at this point in my life, because it’s open to experimentation but very forgiving.”

Aside from his sculpting and his partnership with Tukey, is gaining ground as an independent business consultant, with the founding of his company, Crossroads Business Consulting, dedicated to helping local businesses leverage stability and success in an economy that continues to challenge even the best laid plans. “You see people put their blood, sweat and tears into something, because it’s what they’re passionate about and believe in. Still, when the numbers don’t add up, all that work can be for naught, and I wanted to combine my previous corporate experiences with my knowledge of what it takes to make a small business work financially,” said Shampine. “Again, I turn to sculpture as my inspiration, because it reminds me that you have to accept that things don’t always go as planned, and that’s ok. It’s what you do about it that really makes a difference, and that’s the basis for Crossroads Business Consulting which is founded on the idea that if you want something to change, you have to do something different – that’s almost always the answer, so I help people figure out just what that ‘something different’ should be.”

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