For Robert Wand, creativity isn’t a hobby. It’s a way of life. From woodworking and metal fabrication to painting and taxidermy, he’s always chasing the next challenge. Now, as a full-time Fabrication Artist at McCullough Creative, Rob is putting that relentless drive to work for clients every day.
MONTGOMERY: You were hired about five months ago on a part-time basis and recently elevated to full-time. Congratulations on that, Rob!
ROB: Thank you. It’s been a really exciting stretch of time at McCullough. I’m eager to spend more time here and become a bigger part of the great work we do.
MONTGOMERY: What have been your first impressions of McCullough—the work, the people, the culture?
ROB: My biggest impression is the people. They’re talented, but they’re also easy to work with. There aren’t any prima donnas here, even though there are some really skilled people. Everyone just picks up a hammer. We all bring different skill sets, and together it becomes a whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
MONTGOMERY: What kind of projects have you worked on so far?
ROB: I started with some nature center work—a beaver mount, a lot of sculpting, adding foam, carving, filling, painting. That was my baptism by fire. After that, a small snake pen and a barn façade. Each project is different. Sometimes I know the technique, and sometimes I’m learning as I go.
MONTGOMERY: What part of the work excites you most?
ROB: The hands-on part. I like sculpting, carving—taking a lump of something and turning it into something else. My real passion is the art side of it.
MONTGOMERY: Walk me through your background. How did you evolve as an artist and maker?
ROB: At the core of me is nature. I’ve always been fascinated by flora and fauna. When I was young, I had a great-aunt who taught art and drama. She showed me how to draw and, more importantly, taught me to use whatever works—a brush, a hairpin, anything. That stuck with me.
MONTGOMERY: It sounds like nature and art became interwoven over time.
ROB: Definitely true. I got into wildlife art prints early on and did well enough to fund two trips to Africa. Another big part of my background is taxidermy—I did it part time for 17 years. It was an amazing anatomy lesson, and it tied back to my love of art and nature.
MONTGOMERY: How did you pick up woodworking and other hands-on skills?
ROB: Honestly, I wasn’t a woodworker until I got a job as one. I learned on the job and applied those skills elsewhere. I tried pyrography—woodburning—and tested different pens on basswood. I like cobbling together tools too.
MONTGOMERY: You strike me as naturally curious. Where does that come from?
ROB: I’ve always told my kids: If someone wants to teach you something, learn it. Even if you never use it again, learn it. I’m interested in how things work and how different skills connect.
MONTGOMERY: Where are you from?
ROB: Born and raised in Gratiot, Wisconsin. Grew up on a farm—did all the farmwork, made hay all summer. I’m married to Janice—26 years now. We have two kids, Ashley and Hunter, 12 years apart. I’m in the process of buying the farm I grew up on.
MONTGOMERY: Where does your work ethic come from?
ROB: Sometimes it was necessity. But a lot of it is getting lost in the work. If I’m woodburning a bench, I’ll look up and it’s late—I didn’t notice the time. Working is a big part of who I am.
MONTGOMERY: How do you approach problem-solving when projects get tricky?
ROB: I did industrial engineering work and apprenticed with an engineer for two years. The idea was taking chaos and structuring it. If you start laying things out, the answer usually reveals itself—like putting puzzle pieces together until the picture shows.
MONTGOMERY: What’s been most rewarding about McCullough so far?
ROB: The team and the tangible results. I like starting with raw materials and ending the day sweaty and dirty, looking at what we made. You can see progress. That’s satisfying.
“I like starting with raw materials and ending the day sweaty and dirty, looking at what we made. You can see the progress. That’s satisfying.”
Rob Wand, Fabrication Artist