Book by Paige Kasso

The Man Behind the Sculptures

The Man Behind the Sculptures

Paige Kasso

Paige Kasso

The Man Behind the Sculptures

Dedication

Jane and Hardy Jones

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his book is dedicated to the beloved memory of Hardy Jones and his sculptures that are still with us today.

Acknowledgments Janet and Sam Harding

Jane Brian-Jones

Suzanne Kasso

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would like to thank Jane Bryan-Jones, Sam and Janet Harding for letting me interview them, and for being so open and helpful. I would also like to thank my mom, Suzanne Kasso, for helping me edit and revise my writing.

Contents

Hardy’s Workshop

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10

12

Preface

Introduction

Chapter One

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20

24

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

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28

Works Cited

About the Author

Conclusion

Preface

Eagle Totem by Hardy

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W

hat is similar between a surgeon and a sculptor? Besides both words starting with s, surprisingly quite a bit.

In both professions you have to think out of the box and be creative to be successful. You have to be able to assemble things, sometimes without a guide. It takes years to perfect both crafts and both jobs require a level of passion. Hardy Jones had that passion for being a surgeon and sculptor.

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Intoduction

Hardy in front of his workshop

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D

iscarded gears, rusted pipes, pulled springs—nonfunctional, useless items to most. But to an artist, they are pure gold. And in the steady hand of an orthopedic surgeon, someone who spends their day precisely putting asymmetrical bones, ligaments, and tendons back together, making them functional again, piles of unwanted junk were a sculpture calling out to him. Hardy Jones had that creative mind. He was able to create these detailed, sometimes life-size sculptures out of scrap metal he found. I had the privilege of being his neighbor, getting to know the man, and seeing his artwork every time I walked by his house.

If you have lived in or passed through Los Altos, you have probably encountered Hardy Jones’s art. Hardy has over 17 pieces located all over Los Altos, such as a colorful fish he created sitting outside the Los Altos Library and a life-size warrior guarding the Los Altos Hardware Store’s entrance. Most of his public sculptures are mascots of the local schools, welcoming students and guests to each campus. His reason for making the sculptures for the schools is unknown, but Hardy’s wife, Jane Bryan-Jones, thinks a kid at one of the schools simply walked up to him and asked for one. After that first installation at Almond Elementary school, all the schools wanted one. Much of his work is located in family and friends’ yards. He loved to give his art to his closest friends, some of which are our neighbors. His wife Jane said, “For every celebration, wedding, birthday or whatever, he just used that as an excuse to make something for someone” (BryanJones).

The likelihood of seeing his art outside of Los Altos is small. Hardy only gave/sold his art to local people so he would know where it was going. He cared deeply for his art and made annual visits to maintain each piece, ensuring its longevity. Hardy Jones was an unsung artist who contributed to the Los Altos community, making it a little more inviting and intresting.

Weekend Warrior outside of the Los Altos Hardware Store

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Chapter 1

Covington Coyotes

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ardy Jones was my neighbor. He and his wife, Jane, have known me since I was born. I sometimes babysit their grandchildren and I currently pet-sit Jane’s dogs. Despite my close connection with their family, I didn’t know Hardy created his art until I was in 3rd grade. I had always admired the beautiful sculpture of three coyotes at the front of my elementary school, Covington Elementary. When my mom told me that my neighbor made them, I was shocked and told all my friends that I know the guy who created them. My brother and I, on the first and last days of school, would pose for photos in front of the coyotes. This is a tradition for many families at each of the different schools.

After I figured out that my neighbor created the coyotes, I wanted to know more about him and his art. I have a memory of my mom, brother and I touring Hardy and Jane’s backyard. I remember being surprised at how organized everything was. He had big aluminum garbage cans with a piece of whatever was inside tied to the lid. Part of his organization was because of Jane not wanting her house to look “junky.” After all, her husband literally collected junk! I think it was organized because he was a surgeon, and surgeons need to be organized. In the operating room, he couldn’t have his tools laying everywhere in disarray; surgeons operate with precision. Neatness counts in the operating room and having tools clean, organized, and orderly is critical to the success of the operation.

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Y

ou’d think that someone who delicately balances the demands of the surgical world, putting people back together again, would be uptight and stuffy. Hardy Jones was the complete opposite. A very down-to-earth man, he was very approachable. Every time someone would walk by him while he was working on his art or in his yard, he would drop everything to talk to them. Hardy was an eternally positive person. Every conversation I had with him included the famous Hardy Jones quip, “Today is a great day!” Rain or shine, gloomy fog or sweltering heat, it was always a “great day.” I’ve always had an increased appreciation for Hardy’s work because of my personal connection to him. I was so very fortunate to have had the pleasure of knowing the man behind the sculpture.

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“Today is a great day” -Hardy Jones

Hardy and his grandson

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Chapter 2

Hardy and his grandaughter

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ardy always made and created things. Jane explains, “I have photographs of him when he was a little boy in kindergarten, carrying pieces of wood under his arm to hammer together. So he was always building things and making things” (Bryan-Jones). Unfortunately, Hardy was involved in a horrific motorcycle accident when he was in college which left him with a limp, even after many orthopedic surgeries and rehabilitation. This experience sparked his interest in orthopedics, and he eventually went to Harvard Medical School to become an orthopedic surgeon. During school he was very busy and he didn’t have a lot of time or space to create art. His focus was on school, until he met his wife, Jane, in 1967. The two were married in 1969 and continued their life together as Hardy finished Medical School in Boston, graduating with an Anatomy and M.D. degree.

After graduation in 1974, Hardy and Jane moved to Gainesville, Florida for a surgical internship and orthopedic research opportunity at Shands Teaching Hospital. In 1976, they moved to Los Altos so that Hardy could complete his residency in orthopedic surgery and advanced training at Stanford University. Hardy and Jane also started their family in Los Altos during this time. Hardy was active in his new community and became a part of the Los Altos Mens Club. The Men’s Group was a group of men that would get together just to hang out and talk about life, work, and family. Friendships carried beyond the men and their families were all close, life-long, friends. Hardy’s positive nature and jubilant demeanor was, no doubt, a guiding force in this group. In 1980, he started working at Kaiser Permanente as an orthopedic surgeon. Balancing his new career, family life, and active social life left little time for sculpting, but somehow Hardy found time and energy to do it all. He continued working at Kaiser, rising to Chief of Orthopedic Surgery, until 1997.

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I

n November of 2015 Hardy was diagnosed with ALS, a fatal neuromuscular disease with no known treatment. Making the most of each day became the family goal as his health steadily declined. After a long year of fun adventures with his family, Hardy passed away December 28th, 2016, surrounded by his family and friends. It was a sad day but, surprisingly, it was also a “Great Day.” He was able to die on his own terms with dignity. I like to think that Hardy is now free to create even more beautiful things.

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“He was just a marvelous man. And his smile, his laugh, his willingness to do fun things” - Sam Harding

Chapter 3

Hardy Jones

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Previous page catapillar sculputre

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ardy started creating his found art sculptures after completing medical school and moving to Florida. Their home in Florida had a lot of room and Hardy finally had space to tinker and create.

Few people would be able to find time to sculpt while completing their medical residency, but Hardy wasn’t your average medical resident. Working on his art offered relief from the daily stresses at the hospital. Around this time in his life, he started to create huge sculptures out of wood. He also started collecting metal pieces and welding them together. Soon he was creating massive installations all over the property. Hardy loved the asymmetry of junk, the challenge of finding its new purpose, and just creating in general. His sculptures were made from scrap metals he found anywhere, even in dumpsters or on the street. Jane recalls his habit of collecting scrap as a gift as well as a curse: “When we would be traveling, even on foreign vacations, he would find things and then he would think that he could bring home big metal pieces and get them through customs. And, you know, it didn’t always work out. He said, ‘Well, there’s no use in not giving it a go’” (Bryan-Jones). Hardy’s exuberance and optimism always took over the situation, whether in the operating room or fighting with customs. Hardy’s optimism also gave him the uncanny ability to just look at a piece of scrap metal and come up with an idea for its use in a sculpture. The inspiration for most of his sculptures would just pop into his head, often times based on a single piece of rusted junk. He was confident it could become something beautiful.

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“It was the one he was working on, was the one that he liked the best.”

- Jane Bryan-Jones

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ecause most of Hardy’s sculptures were made of metal, he had to learn to weld. He took a welding class at Gainesville Community College, attending Night School in welding while completing his medical internship during the day. He had a busy mind, endless energy, and a supportive wife. After moving to Los Altos, and spending hours practicing his craft he became proficient enough to take a full, year long, class at a forgery in Oakland, CA. After his class he became an apprentice for a blacksmith, learning the finer points of metal work. Education, whether in medicine or metal work, never scared Hardy. He thrived on the challenges both fields offered.

Hardy earned several awards for his art, many of which are from the Kaiser Permanente Art Show, in Santa Clara, California in the early 1980s. Hardy loved bridging his medical passion with his artistic passion. In 1992 and 1996, Hardy won the Los Altos City Sidewalk Sculpture Competition.

His passion for found art spanned over 25 years, with over 200 sculptures in private and public collections around California. His works are recognized in public locations including city parks, restaurants, and a variety of businesses, as well as local front and backyards.

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Conclustion

Magic Fish at the Los Altos Library

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Previous page Jane and Hardy

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hough Hardy Jones is no longer with us physically, he lives on through his sculptures. His generous donations to the schools mean that children will mark their first and last day of the school year with a photo next to their sculpted mascot in front of their school. Children will also continue interacting with the fish in front of the Library, and the warrior will continue to watch over Los Altos Hardware. Friends of Hardy’s have pledged to keep his art alive and in good order so his art can continue to bring joy to the community. Through his art, Hardy Jones continues to make each day in our community a “Great Day”!

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Works Cited Bryan-Jones, Jane. Personal interview. 20 March 2022.

Harding, Janet. Personal interview. 3 April 2022.

Harding, Sam. Personal interview. 3 April 2022.

“Hardy Jones - Found Art Sculpture .” Hardyjones, https://www.hardyjones.com/.

Kasso, Paige. “Follow up interview” Received by Jane Bryan-Jones. 26 April 2022.

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Hardy’s Treasures

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About the Author P

aige Kasso is a junior at Los Altos High and Freestyle Academy. She found interest in photography and is looking to major in graphic design for college. She spends her free time leading a Scouts BSA troop as Senior Patrol Leader and running sprints as a varsity track athlete.

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Paige Kasso

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