Like time itself, Aaron Hubbell waits upon the South Florida landscape – the mangroves, shorelines, and brush – to tell him what his art will be. Or will become.
Sometimes, the waiting is just for the materials. Driftwood, with its enigmatic and untamed countenance, is a particular favorite of his patrons. Other times, he waits for nature to reveal itself.
“Sometimes, when you’re floating through the mangroves, you see a pattern – something you’ve never seen before. It’s all about seeing the familiar, but differently.”
It’s in that unique ability to see the possibilities that Aaron’s true gift lies. It’s no exaggeration to guess that millions have walked past or even kicked aside the elements of his sculptures: Fallen leaves, knotted and sand-covered wood, even dead fish or crustaceans in the surf. What is flotsam to everyone else is an opportunity to him.
“I’ve been making molds for most of my working life,” Aaron said. “One day I picked up an Arica palm and thought, ‘Hmmm…I wonder what this would look like as a bowl.
“It looked terrible,” he adds with a laugh. “But the idea of using natural elements stuck, and the next attempt worked. Now I’ve got an entire line of naturally-inspired molds.”