About Doc Hayes - How Is a Leathercrafter Made?

Bio and Artists' Statement

Doc Hayes was born and raised in Oklahoma. Early influences on his life were B westerns, Roy Rogers and Hopalong Cassidy on the TV, Will Rogers as an Oklahoma legend, and the REAL cowboys and "Indians" and native American cowboys that he grew up around. The WEST was built into him from the ground up.

At the age of 13 he discovered leather working in a junior high shop class and was hooked. Al Stohlman became a personal hero. He started his first small scale leather business in high school. Moving on to college he became distracted by studies, a first marriage (which resulted in a wonderful son who also does leatherwork), and life in general which got in the way of leatherwork as more than a hobby.

After 28 years as a college biology professor (hence the nickname "Doc"), he and his wife, Carol (also a college professor), heard the call of the West and moved to New Mexico. Doc renewed his interest in designing and crafting fine western leather and began Doc's Custom Leather in 2003 in Deming, NM. That name changed with a move to the East Mountains on the East side of Albuquerque to New Mexico Trail Leather.

-------------- Doc ---------------

Leather is an amazing medium! It has the flexibility of cloth but is workable like clay... a fantistic medium for the artist. So many skills may be applied and variations explored. You need the skills and eye of a sculptor, a painter, a metal worker, a tailer and frequently an engineer. What an opportunity to grow within an art form!

The influences upon my art are many. I have been a collector of patterns, books, periodicals and more dealing with the art and craft of leatherwork reaching back into the 1920's. I have studied the work of the Stohlman's, F. O. Baird, Ken Griffin, Al Shelton, and so many of the masters of this work. I have learned so much by interacting with fellow leather artists from around the world and locally... way too many to mention individually.

I've been asked where I'm going with my work. I have a couple of strong driving forces working on me. One of these is the desire to keep classic leatherworking styles alive while pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the medium. This includes passing on the art to others so that it does not disappear. The second is to put visions on leather. This includes my own and the visions of my customers/patrons who know what they want but due to constraints of time, experience, etc. are unable to produce leather objects of the quality they desire.

Every once in a while I have to stop and ask myself, "Are we having fun yet?" So far my answer has always been "YEP!!!" --- Doc Hayes


Home \| Custom Leather \| Ready Made Products \| About Doc Hayes \| Business Principles and Practices \| Links
	New Mexico Trail Leather About Doc Hayes
	Bio and Artists' Statement Doc Hayes was born and raised in Oklahoma. Early influences on his life were B westerns, Roy Rogers and Hopalong Cassidy on the TV, Will Rogers as an Oklahoma legend, and the REAL cowboys and "Indians" and native American cowboys that he grew up around. The WEST was built into him from the ground up. At the age of 13 he discovered leather working in a junior high shop class and was hooked. Al Stohlman became a personal hero. He started his first small scale leather business in high school. Moving on to college he became distracted by studies, a first marriage (which resulted in a wonderful son who also does leatherwork), and life in general which got in the way of leatherwork as more than a hobby. After 28 years as a college biology professor (hence the nickname "Doc"), he and his wife, Carol (also a college professor), heard the call of the West and moved to New Mexico. Doc renewed his interest in designing and crafting fine western leather and began Doc's Custom Leather in 2003 in Deming, NM. That name changed with a move to the East Mountains on the East side of Albuquerque to New Mexico Trail Leather. -------------- Doc --------------- Leather is an amazing medium! It has the flexibility of cloth but is workable like clay... a fantistic medium for the artist. So many skills may be applied and variations explored. You need the skills and eye of a sculptor, a painter, a metal worker, a tailer and frequently an engineer. What an opportunity to grow within an art form! The influences upon my art are many. I have been a collector of patterns, books, periodicals and more dealing with the art and craft of leatherwork reaching back into the 1920's. I have studied the work of the Stohlman's, F. O. Baird, Ken Griffin, Al Shelton, and so many of the masters of this work. I have learned so much by interacting with fellow leather artists from around the world and locally... way too many to mention individually. I've been asked where I'm going with my work. I have a couple of strong driving forces working on me. One of these is the desire to keep classic leatherworking styles alive while pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the medium. This includes passing on the art to others so that it does not disappear. The second is to put visions on leather. This includes my own and the visions of my customers/patrons who know what they want but due to constraints of time, experience, etc. are unable to produce leather objects of the quality they desire. Every once in a while I have to stop and ask myself, "Are we having fun yet?" So far my answer has always been "YEP!!!" --- Doc Hayes	Doc at age 4... the Oklahoma Kid! Doc a few years ago in Lake Valley, NM
	Member: New Mexico Roadrunner Leather Artisans Guild International Internet Leathercrafter's Guild Puget Sound Leather Artisans Coop Single Action Shooting Society, SASS# 61500 (alias Doc Delahaye)
	Home \| Custom Leather \| Ready Made Products \| About Doc Hayes \| Business Principles and Practices \| Links