About the Artist
An engineer by day Tom Risser is President of U.S. Bottlers Machinery Company in Charlotte. He is a graduate of Guilford College with a degree in mathematics and engineering and an electrical engineering degree from North Carolina State University.
Twenty years ago, he began taking leftover materials from his company’s products and formed them into sculptures. As a self -taught artist he has experimented with many different types of medium including fused glass, polycarbonate, stone, paintings, shotcrete and photography.
Now an award-winning sculptor you can find his works in many cities, galleries, private collections, and businesses across the United States.
In 2016 he had a heart attack and subsequently heart bypass surgery. Since then he has incorporated hearts into many pieces of his work. The hearts are sometimes very visible and at other times they are hidden.
He is also known for his other hobby, skateboarding. He is the creator of many local skateboard facilities including WXW Sk8, The Blair Witch Ramp, Whip Snake Park and Tom’s Bowl. He has been featured on HGTV, Offbeat America, ESPN: Tony Hawk’s Giant Skatepark Tour and Carolina Traveler.
He and his wife, Daisy, have a son, Sam, and a daughter, Carson.
